


Beneficial

by Freida_Right



Series: Chronicle of the Five Clans [2]
Category: 9 (2009)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-11-23
Updated: 2014-01-20
Packaged: 2018-01-02 10:56:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 62,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1055951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Freida_Right/pseuds/Freida_Right
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The five clans have been reunited, and all has been made right. The world is now theirs for the taking, and perhaps finally a safe place to raise their children. But in a world full of life, with all its delicate twists and turns, the real struggle is finding what is best for everyone, and having the courage to do it...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Part the Second, which was not actually supposed to happen... But then I made Dixie too damn cute, and decided I had to continue. 
> 
> This sequel is still in progress on ffnet, and it has taken several considerable twists and turns in the many months it has been in progress. You will get this story and the series finale in real time. ;)

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_Prologue: Scarborough Fair_

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It wasn't every day, anymore, that Ian came to call. So when Thom opened the door and found his twin standing there, he was surprised on a number of levels. The slightly younger man didn't even pause, pushing past his brother and storming inside.

"It's a fine mess you've gotten me into this time, Thom," he grumbled. "Just look at me! Look at my face!"

Thom was startled by how much his twin had changed in a few short months. He had lost so much weight, he looked sick. His face was weathered and tired, as if he had suddenly aged 20 years or more, and all the color had drained from his once brown hair. They had spent their whole lives sharing the exact same face. Today, only their prominent noses and brown eyes showed that they could even be related at all.

Ian was much farther along with his part of the secret project. In fact, he had five Stitchpunks left to create. Thom had only created the first of his so far, and only because the five of them had all created their firsts together. After that, they had gone one at a time creating their other eight. As soon as he had shut the door and the lock clicked shut, a familiar blonde head popped out of Ian's coat pocket, looking around eagerly for her many comrades.

"I see you brought Parsley," Thom noted, trying to make pleasant conversation. At the observation, Ian visibly softened.

"I thought, as long as I was coming here, she ought to be with them," he explained, gently scooping the blonde Stitch-woman out of his pocket. Seeing Thom, she smiled and waved.

"Always a pleasure to see you, Thom," she greeted.

He returned her smile. Parsley had certainly been endowed with her creator's softer side.

"The others are all upstairs," he said, leading the way to the stairs. There were already 24 other personalities mingling in his study on the fourth floor, most of whom Parsley didn't know very well. It felt like they had taken over the study for their own personal ends, a better dwelling place now for curious, industrious Stitchpunks than for a human scientist. In fact, he feared he would have to move them somewhere else before he began his own.

 _1 is going to hate that,_ he thought, not for the first time, as they climbed the stairs. It seemed like 1 didn't like things in general. Having the pickiest and most intolerant part of his soul removed had proven to have its benefits recently. But he wished it hadn't chosen to go into the one who would be his clan's leader. It was a shame, but there wasn't much he could do about it now.

At the top of the second flight, Ian had stop to catch his breath.

"You just _had_ to hide them all the way at the top, didn't you," he snapped.

"The last place government officials would bother to look. Who wants to hike up four flights of stairs?"

"Certainly not I. I'm not as young as I was last month."

The change in his own brother bothered him intensely. Thinking how this was what he was likely to become made his stomach lurch uncomfortably.

"Ian, I can take her from here," he offered. "Go on to the kitchen. I'll make us some tea when I get back."

Ian handed his first and rather favorite creation over, and then sulked back down the stairs and out of sight. Thom continued upwards alone, say for Parsley's lighthearted company.

"How are the others these days?" He asked.

"A rowdy bunch, now that there's more of them," Parsley answered in a disapproving tone. "Still, Sage, Rosey and the boys are mine, and I am quite fond of the four of them."

"Boys? Four? I thought there were only three others yet."

"Hm... There were odd complications surrounding the twins' birth," she answered, compensating her vague wording with flowery vocabulary. When Thom made a very puzzled face, she added, "I'm certain that Ian will explain it all. I'm afraid I couldn't understand it if I tried."

That was true enough. Parsley was an Elder, not a Seeker, and such things failed to hold her interest at all.

"I'm afraid the bunch here has also gotten a bit rowdy," he apologized. "Or perhaps its merely that there are so many and that they've become very loud. It's difficult to tell."

"It will be nice to see my good old boys, though," she remarked with a smile. "I haven't seen them in weeks, and I do miss the company of real adults every once in a while. Rosey looks grown enough; but she is a poor excuse for a lady."

She sounded dissapointed about that. What part of Ian could the young woman have been filled with? He stopped just outside his study door and cracked it open, setting Parsley on the floor to let herself in.

"I'm terrified I might step on one of the youngsters, the way they run about," he explained. "Go right in, ma'am."

Parsley chuckled warmly. "Such respect, young man. That 1 could stand to learn a thing or two from you, about how to treat a lady."

As she walked in, greeted by excited cheers of welcome from various voices, Thom shut the door behind her and sighed to himself. He did, indeed, know how to treat a lady. The fair lady who had taught him since grade school was dead now-all that remained of her were the little pieces of her soul, eight of which now populated his study. He distracted himself from the stab of grief that gripped him, by listening through the door at how happy the other 24 were to see Parsley again.

 _Analyn's Bearer is still missing, somewhere,_ he thought, another hurdle to distract himself. _All the Bearers so far have yet to be found. I wonder, if any of the three ever left the places where they were born...?_

Thom returned to his kitchen and found Ian sitting at the table, his head resting wearily and impatiently on the table top. He didn't even look up when his twin moved into view, headed for the stove and the copper tea kettle on the counter beside it.

"Parsley seems well," he commented.

"She's already tired of them," he answered. "Just like me. Thom, I can't tell you how old this is getting. The adventure was fun at first, but now I'm ready to run away with what little of myself I still have, and never come back.

"But then, what's even the point in that?" He rambled philosophically. "I've already lost so much of myself, I can never be whole again. What kind of life would that be? I'd may as well stay and see it through. I'm too tired to go very far, anyway..."

Thom listened in silence as he filled the tea kettle and set it on the stove, and filled a teapot with loose early grey-his brother's favorite, he knew. Maybe he just needed to vent on someone. All their friends were already dead. They were all they had left now.

"Thom... I'm going to die soon. I'm going to die for you, and your precious witchcraft. Maybe Johan was right about you and Analyn. Maybe I should have had the courage to listen to him, for once. Then maybe none of us would be where we are."

"You blame me for this?"

"It was your stupid idea! I used to be an artist-I was doing something I loved with my life. So was Johan, and Analyn, and even Eli, even though he was trapped in your attic. And where are they all now? They're all dead because they listened to you."

"Analyn was happy to help me."

"Don't pretend she was at peace with this. She walked into this with you because she loved you. If you loved her too, you would have taken better care of her. She gave you plenty of other choices, and you know it. You could have done anything else, and you chose this anyway. This is _all_ your fault! You've killed us all, Thomas Brian Townsend."

Thom was tempted to shout back; but perhaps it was his soul's newfound lack of impatience that helped keep him silent as his brother continued to list his many offenses.

"Mum and dad are surely spinning in their graves," Ian moaned dramatically, letting his face fall into his hands. "And what is Ignatius going to do? Will he ever know what happened here?"

At the mention of their younger brother, Thom's grudge with him bubbled to the surface. As if reading his feelings, the kettle began to whistle angrily. Turning spitefully to see to it, he barley kept himself from growling like a hungry animal.

"If he cared that much, he wouldn't have betrayed my Machine and run off with all my money," he snapped. "None of this would have been set in motion, if he hadn't handed it over. Clearly, our being here now is all _his_ fault!"

"Sure. Blame it on the child. Very mature of you, Thom. He always thought you were the crazy one."

"We'll if you didn't want to do this so badly, you should have run off to find him. You could have spent your lives with your souls intact, laughing to your graves about what a crazy bafoon I am."

"I couldn't have done that," Ian replied coolly, and odd, manic grin spreading over his face. "Your plan is still insane, and its wearing me to rags. But I was too intrigued by the talisman's charms to turn it down, once Parsley was born."

"What do you mean?"

"Haven't you seen it yet? It was one thing for our Analyn, a barren woman who craved children, to split up her soul like this. But for me, and you, and the others... Can't you imagine what it's like, for someone like me-a creator of painted masterpieces? My skill and creativity can only go so far, in acrylics and canvas.

"But this... A rare opportunity to create something no other mortal man ever could..." he explained, becoming more and more manic with every word. He stood up and marched into his brother's face, as his grin became devilish.

"With a talisman, filled with my Source... Thomas, I can create life! No other man on earth can say that he creates something so powerful. I didn't believe it at first... But that shining moment, as I watch Parsley draw her first breath-oh, I knew it was so. _I_ gave her life. All by myself.

"It only goes to show, brother: man truely is greater than the God that Johan and Eli clung so desperately to. He is greater than God, he is greater than woman, and he has earned his place in the world. No one can ever unseat him, while he has this power in his hands.

"And don't think for one second the others didn't feel it, as well. I hope they both died secure in that knowledge. We've outsmarted God, the four of us boys. That invisible whisper is in no place to dudge us. Ha, I hope they were given medals when they got... Wherever it is they went!"

This was a little too much powerlust in one place for Thom's comfort. But as long as his brother was slowly, painfully losing himself, who was he to rain on his parade? Startled as he was, he chose to let his brother spin happily in his revelation. He would be dead soon; better he die happy, thinking he had finally, thoroughly succeed at something, in the end.

_I hope this doesn't happen to me..._

"Sit down, Ian," Thom insisted, propelling his twin back to his chair. Ian did as he was told, pouting like a child all the way. When Thom sat down across from him, setting the teapot and two cups on the table, he took a deep breath while he chose what question to ask next.

"Parsley said something about twins," he said as he filled the cups.

"Oh yes, another creative venture of mine," Ian agreed with the same sinister smile. "I'm not making nine, Thom."

He raised an eyebrow as he raised his cup to his lips. "What do you mean? There are only nine pieces to be split."

"So it would seem. I've split the Seeker in half-I'm making 10."

Thom chocked on his tea, sputtering as some of it burst painfully out of his nose.

"Just the creative genius coming out," Ian went on, triumphant in his brother's pain. "We're already beating God at his own game; so I figured, why not beat Him to the fullest?"

Thom hurriedly wiped his mouth and dripping nose and stared at his brother in mild horror. "How did you do it? How did you survive? That's supposed to kill a person!"

"Luck, I suppose. You could call it... A botched suicide attempt. In fact, I've been so utterly foiled, I've found the strength to see it through to the end. You should see my boys-Thyme and Dill. A slight deviation from the original gameplan, but I like them very much. Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme... And Dill.

"Funny," he mused, looking up and off into space. "I hadn't created boys yet. Perhaps they will be just like you and me..."

Thom was unnerved. Now Ian was the crazy one. As he continued to regard his brother with growing concern and alarm, Ian began to hum absentmindedly to himself, and then began to sing in a vague, scratchy voice.

" _Are you going to Scarborough Fair... Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thymmmmmme... And Dill..._ "

"I'm tempted not have you leave this house," Thom decided. "I'm going to fetch your things and your other 'punks from your house and bring them all here, but I'll not let you go wandering the streets like this."

Ian looked back at him with a defensive face. "Who are you to care so much?"

"I'm your twin brother, is who."

"I can think perfectly fine for myself, bossy."

"No, Ian, no you can't."

Ian pouted again, and slumped in his chair. "I hope one of your 'punks ends up with a brother as bad as you are."

This time, Thom was able to sip his tea in relative peace. "And perhaps your Thyme and Dill really _will_ be just like you and I."

Ian scowled.

"Touché." He reached for his cup and raised it. "To bad older brothers."

"To bad younger brothers," Thom agreed, clinking his own cup against Ian's.

Neither brother would live to see the impact of that toast, and maybe it was for the better. Their two clans should have been bound as brothers. Instead, over the years to come, Ian's Fair-Punks would only come to cause mayhem, which Thom's Prime-Punks would never be able to mend...


	2. The Pruning Hook

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Um. This chapter is kind of a sucker punch. And it goes on to color the rest of the series in a slight shade of... sad. Sorry. :/

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_The Pruning Hook_

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It had been less than a month since the gathering now, and the fifth clan liked to think that a new semblance of "normal" had finally been established. The ten of them that could understand and appreciate it chose to relish it, because that was certain to change very soon. Dixie was maturing steadily and happily as ever, and her little soul was rapidly outgrowing its infant body; she would be ready for her big girl body in a few months' time, maybe even before her first birthday.

That was amazing and wonderful enough. Only three and a half weeks later, all the tell-tale signs of Pi's pregnancy were starting to show in her mood and her sudden fatigue. No one was surprised that it had happened so fast. She and 5 had commented many times before that they were excited to start a family as soon as possible. Everything was finally going right for both of them, and their family was very happy and proud of them both. No one doubted in the slightest that they would be excellent parents.

One evening, as they all sat in the common room carrying in their various favorite activities, the two mothers sat together on the sofa discussing it.

"We're thinking two or three, at least," Pi explained.

"That's a lot," 7 commented. "It seems like the one I have now is a lot to look after."

"Oh, I don't mind. I look forward to having a big family."

"I have to admire that. I love my baby, but I don't know if I could stand doing that again."

"I remember, carrying Dixie was a struggle for you."

7 laughed ruefully, looking over at her baby as she played with her big brother and sister. "I hated most of it. It's not so hard the first few weeks... But it starts doing things to your head, about the second month. It can be scary, sometimes, changing you in ways you can't prepare for. How are you feeling so far?"

"Just tired, during the day. That's normal, right?"

"For me it was. I was _always_ tired. That wasn't easy for me, either. I don't know if its the same for everyone, though. I understand that for human beings, the whole thing could be very different for different people. I even heard that some women didn't really experience any pain when giving birth. I wish I had been one of them..."

"...Does it really hurt that much?"

7 gave her a hesitant look, not wanting it frighten her, but not wanting to lie to her either. "It is... Definitely not the most fun experience in the world. There are also less fun things, though."

"Hm. I can think of a few, I'm sure."

"I know an awful lot about physical pain, myself. It's a pain unlike any other I've ever known, though, oddly, not worse than some of it. It's just... Different."

"Should I be worried?"

"No, you shouldn't be. What you _should_ be is excited. Yes, it's painful, but only for a short time. And in the end, all of it is worth it. The first time you hold your child close, look into those big eyes and see the soul you've grown and protected... There is nothing like that, Pi. Nothing in the world."

"But you wouldn't do it again?"

"I wouldn't choose it for myself, no. But I think that you are very brave and very strong to choose it for yourself."

Pi smiled brilliantly, thrilled that her very strong sister would think that she was also strong. She had never had a big sister to actually look up to before. But she had married into a good family that was already fond of her. Given all of her excellent new circumstances, she was very happy now. She sat back and sighed.

"So all I have to do is sit still and wait until October. 7, when Dixie was born, everyone was worried about her coming a week early. Is that bad?"

"For needing such a short time to grow, it was a little surprising. But then, maybe not so surprising at all-she _is_ her father's child, and mine, after all. Or, maybe she had already been there and it took us a week to realize I was pregnant yet. We may never know for sure. Child bearing isn't a thing we can't handle; but it isn't something we know very much about yet."

Pi made a nervous face, and glanced with concern at the bare, hopeful swell that had already grown. 7 patted her shoulder with a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry, honey, both our husbands are doctors. Between the two of them, I'm sure they'll figure it out someday. And for now, they'll take care both you. You don't have to be afraid of anything."

"Oh," Pi agreed with a relived sigh. "That's good to hear." She gave a wide yawn, not bothering to try and hide it.

"Time for bed?"

"Yes, I think so," she answered, standing and stretching. "It's weird; its so early, still, but I'm already so sleepy."

"That is _very_ normal. It's probably getting on time to get Dixie to bed, as well."

"But you will probably be awake enough to come back here," Pi pointed out with a laugh. "I wonder if I should say goodnight?"

She looked around at everyone, but they all seemed busy. Even 5 had momentarily forgotten about her-he had been concentrating on their baby's framework for the past several days. It required a lot of time and focus, but the fifth clan seemed particularly good at building bodies in a relatively short amount of time. The sooner it was finished, the sooner he could really focus on her again.

"Go on to bed," 7 insisted. "I'll let them know. And 5 will be along later; he won't mind."

"Right," she agreed, waving to her sister. "Goodnight, 7."

"Goodnight, Pi. Sleep well."

As she walked down the dark hallway to her room, it felt like the growing soul gave a gentle jerk, as if it wanted to play, or maybe leap out of her and see the world for itself.

"Hush, little one," she whispered, patting her belly. "You're hardly big enough for that yet."

She suddenly felt a little nauseous, but that happened a lot these days. And anyway, it was better than the terrible morning sickness that had overtaken her the first week. She was glad that was over-hiding it from her father and sisters had been a challenge. But it had been impossible to hide from her mother, who had figured out quickly what was going on. Sigma hadn't been particularly pleased at first; but given everything that had happened, she had decided to just be happy. And she had agreed to keep it a secret from everyone else. As far as Pi was aware, her mother was the only other person who knew about the baby before the wedding.

Hopefully it would stay that way for the foreseeable future. It seemed like such a minor offense to have conceived this child out of wedlock, and once upon a time she wouldn't have cared; she might have even been proud to do whatever she wanted without being bound by rules or vows. But her real self-the soul of a true Innocent-couldn't help but feel ashamed. It was something that everyone she knew believed in so strongly. So many of them would be dissapointed in her. So many of them would decide, for all of her struggles and triumphs, that she had tripped at the finish line.

And even though it hadn't been admitted out loud, she knew that 5-another true Innocent if there ever was one-felt the same.

She chose not to entertain those thoughts another second more, and focused instead on how tired she was. She climbed into her side of the bed and did her best to ignore the mild sickness. It would be gone by morning, if only she could get to sleep. Her baby's soul jumped again, a little harder this time, demanding her attention; but she was barely awake to think about it.

"Go to sleep," she implored it. "Only 62 days left, in the morning, and then you can run around all you like..."

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Pi was sure that she slept soundly the whole night, and that she had probably had a very interesting dream; but as she slipped back into consciousness, she couldn't remember it. She woke slowly, becoming increasingly aware of a dull, odd soreness all over her body. She wasn't sure what had woken her from her usually deep sleep. But she opened eyes to see that her husband was already awake, going over his blueprints and tools, and had a feeling that his business might have had something to do with it. 5 was always busy these days, but there was a lot to be done. She looked forward to a day when she would actually wake up and find him still in bed beside her.

The soreness was getting worse and worse as she became more aware of it; it felt the worst in her chest and stomach, and made moving difficult. Breathing through the dull pain, she slowly, carefully sat up and smiled.

"Good morning."

5 looked up from what he was doing and smiled back. "So now you're awake," he teased, coming to sit on the bed next to her. "You know, you tossed and turned all night," he commented, stroking her frizzy hair. "Did you sleep well?"

"I slept just fine," she answered. "Did you?"

He shrugged. "You kicked me several times, and I think you got in a few good slaps," he answered, rubbing his face. "My face hurts."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay. It happens."

She gingerly touched her side, trying not to wince at her own touch. "That's not the only thing that hurts..."

"Are you okay?"

"I don't know. I just feel so sore all over," she said, checking her self. She felt so strange. Sort of... Hollow, she realized with a start. Her hand flew to her belly, where there wasn't much to feel anyway, but it felt different in a way that made her heart fill with worry.

"5, I think something's wrong."

He was suddenly very worried, as well. "What is it?"

"I don't know... Something's just really wrong."

"Lie down, let me take a look," he said, as his game-face replaced his worried face. She did as she was told and reached for the cleverly hidden buttons that held her chest closed. As she opened herself and let him look at her wiring, she tried to calm her fretting heart. Whatever was going on, 5 would figure it out and fix it. For only having one eye, he was amazingly good at finding things. Even though she was scared, he would make this right.

After a minute of searching her wiring, he made a puzzled face.

"I don't understand..." He gently poked a few things, daring to delve deeper into her body cavity, asking if she could feel everything he touched. She thankfully found that she could; though instead of his touch feeling pleasant and nice like it was supposed to, she mostly felt more of the same dull aching. After another minute of this, he sat back and looked worried again.

"...This isn't right at all," he finally said, sounding very anxious. "I need help. Wait here and don't move."

He dashed out of the room without waiting for a response. Pi tried very hard not to fidget much while she waited, and the soreness help keep her still, but she was worried again. 5 was trying to be serious and not make her feel worse, but he was scared. What had he found?

"Don't worry, baby," she whispered. "Your papa will take care of everything. He's very good at fixing things, you know. You're going to like him so much, sweetheart. When you're old enough, I bet he'll teach you how to fix things, just like he does. And I bet you'll be great at it."

It normally made her feel very happy whenever she spoke to her baby's soul, even though it couldn't hear her. It felt like the little soul could hear her, after all. But again, it was different this time. Maybe it was just her worrying, but somehow, it felt like it didn't hear her this time. It only made her heart beat even faster with fear. What could it mean? What had she done? Had she hurt her baby somehow?

A minute of silence passed tensely, as she lay still, trying and failing not to upset herself more. Finally, she heard voices in the hall, coming nearer.

"No, no, you will wait out here with your brother, and I will take a look."

"But she needs me! I have to be there!"

"No, you do not. You're in no state to be in the way. Just let me handle this for a moment. A fresher pair of eyes will see things more clearly."

2 walked into the room alone, and she let go a sigh. Surely, their most learned doctor would help her. He had already helped and fixed her so many times in the past, when she had been there to kill them. In this true moment of need, he wouldn't fail her.

"So," he said in his friendly, knowledgeable way, "5 tells me you aren't feeling well."

"Not at all," she agreed, grimacing as she shook her head. The soreness shot through her neck and made her head hurt.

"Well then," he said, sitting on the bed and peering into her open chest, "let us take a look and see what is going on here. ...Hm..."

"Nothing bad, right?"

"Well, your wiring appears to be intact... But you aren't the one I'm fully concerned with."

All their mature females were designed with a special piece that their males didn't have-a small balloon-like thing near the bottom end of their soul wires, where the soul of a child could grow. There was complicated and beautiful science behind that miracle, but Pi made no attempt to try and understand it because she knew she never could. 2 looked over the appendage with a critical eye, and suddenly made a face. It changed from curious, to perplexed, to horrified in the space of a short minute. He sat back a bit, still staring transfixed at it, and rubbed the back of his neck.

"This can't... Oh no..."

Pi gripped the bed sheet, trying not to tremble. "What is it?" She demanded in a shaking voice. "What's the matter with my baby?"

She almost didn't want to hear what he had found.

"Pi... It's empty. There's nothing there."

She bolted upright, raw nerves overcoming the soreness in her chest. "What do you mean, there's nothing there? My baby's there! It can't be empty!"

"But it is... There's not... Pi, I'm sorry-"

"You're lying!" She screamed, grabbing him by the shoulders and shaking him feebly. "You're lying! _Please_ tell me you're lying!"

Even as she spoke, willing it to not be true, the grim reality overcame her: he would never lie to her. The surge of fear and anger fell out from under her, replaced with a tingling burning that seared through her whole self. Unable to support her own weight anymore, all she could do was slump into his arms and begin to weep.

Really, what else was there for her to do? The truth was more unimaginably painful than anything else she had ever felt. 2 held her close and rocked her gently, but it brought her no comfort. She thought she heard him whisper something that was meant to be soothing, but she barely heard it. She couldn't her anything over the disoriented, heartbroken rampage in her mind and very soul. It drowned out every sense she had.

After a long moment, he released her and stood up, headed for the door. Pi buried her face in her hands instead, unable to stop crying. But she tried to control herself to hear what was going on in the hallway. Maybe 2 could stand to explain more to the others than he could bear to say to her in this moment.

"What do you mean it's gone?" She heard her husband exclaim, frightened and uncharacteristically angry.

A brief second passed quietly, as 2 attempted to explain in a calm voice.

"Don't say that! My wife isn't broken!"

"I never said she was! That piece is damaged-it can't sustain another soul. It simply isn't strong enough."

"Then I'll fix it."

"You can't do that, 5. We would have to take her soul wire apart. It would kill her!"

"That can't be true! There must be _something_ I can do!"

"No, I'm afraid there isn't. It's out of our hands, now."

"...That's it then? Our child is just... _Gone_?"

Another heart wrenching pause.

"I'm afraid so, my boy. 5... I'm so sorry."

Apparently, he could bear it no more than she could. The very next thing Pi was aware of, he had stormed back to her side and pulled her into his arms, hiding her face against his chest, as if he could somehow protect her from how wrong and unfair this was. It was clear how badly he wanted to be strong and steady for her when she needed him... But his silence didn't last long, and soon he was weeping just as bitterly as she was.

At least she wasn't alone in this ordeal... But at the same time, she felt so helplessly lost and abandoned.

"Pi, I'm sorry," he sobbed into her hair. "I'm _so_ sorry..."

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A definite pall had fallen over the library. The fifth clan had experienced their share of death in the past, but never before like this. A whole life, snatched away before it even had the chance to begin... It was hard to believe something so horrific was possible.

"So go get it back," 7 had immediately suggestedto her husband. "You've done it before-Pi's done this, for heaven's sake! Just do what you did last time, and bring it back!"

It tore him apart, but 9 had to shake his head. This soul wasn't trapped in a place it wasn't supposed to be, waiting to be freed. And even if he could bring it back, it had no place to go. No... This one was out of reach. Wherever Delta's soul had gone, it was there now. And that was one place he knew he was not allowed until he died, himself.

There was no escaping it: this was the first real death the family had experienced. There would be no fixing it, this time.

9 found that his brother and sister-in-law had made themselves very scarce the past several days, and he almost didn't mind. He was a little scared to face them, being so unable to help them. The one thing he could have offered, he didn't have. And after all the wrongful deaths he had fixed in the past...

On the fourth day he went into the workroom, and was surprised to find 5 sitting there all by himself. It seemed like he must have been there for a while, lost in thought, staring listlessly at a pile of screws and bolts on the table. The last of the finding he had gathered, not a week ago, to finish his child's body.

He felt his heart twist uncomfortably in his chest, and thought of just walking away, leaving his brother some space. But he changed his mind. Even if he couldn't be of any spiritual help, it had been long days since he had seen his brother. He gently rapped his knuckles against the doorframe, earning his brother's weary attention.

"Can I come in?"

5 slowly nodded his head, and returned his gaze to his findings. 9 came and sat beside him, wondering if he had gotten any sleep the last few nights. He looked exhausted.

"Pi just needed to be alone for a while," he said quietly, fiddling with one of the screws.

"How is she?"

"Not good. She hasn't looked at me in days... I don't want this to pull us apart, but I can't see how it can bring us closer."

"What about you? You look terrible."

"I feel terrible. I can't believe there's nothing I can do to help her. There's not even the possibility of a future. We'll never have children, 9. We were so excited, and now its never going to happen."

He let his face fall into his hands.

"Maybe this was our punishment..."

"How could you say something like that? You didn't do anything to deserve this."

5 took a deep breathe and let it go heavily.

"9, I need to tell you something... I don't want you to tell anyone else."

"Um... That depends on what it is."

" _Promise_ me."

He hesitated. He had already kept so many secrets from the clan before. But...

"...Alright. What is it?"

"You know how it happened so fast? How we hadn't been married for two weeks, and we were suddenly having a baby? You said yourself, that happened quickly."

"You said it was what you wanted."

"And it was... But... That might have happened a little sooner than we let on."

"What...? Wait, what are you saying?"

"It was that night," he explained, wincing as his voice broke. "That night that Alpha came and took her. Pi and Dixie weren't the only ones he took away."

"What?!"

"I know, I know," he cried, slamming his fists on the table, "I'm a stupid idiot-just go on and say it!"

That wasn't exactly what 9 had to say. In truth, he didn't know what to say. He never would have imagined that his brother was capable of doing something so out of line. It boggled his mind for a minute. Suddenly, he was more than willing to keep this secret. He didn't blame them for wanting to hide it.

As it was, 5 was sobbing abysmally, his face back in his hands. It was hard to believe that we'll hadn't run dry yet. But then, maybe not so surprising at all.

"I saved my baby from a monster before I even knew it was there," he wailed. "And now, when I'm trying to make a life for it, it just goes out! It's not fair, I tell you, it isn't fair!"

That certainly painted a new shade over their mourning. As shocking as it was to hear it from 5, of all people, 9 was silently kind of glad they didn't have to be completely alone in it anymore. What a terrible burden to carry all by themselves. He put a sympathetic hand on his brother's shoulder, still not sure what there was to be said.

Maybe silence was all there needed to be. He sat a little closer and pulled his brother into a hug that was long overdue.

"I don't know what I'm going to do now. My baby's gone... My wife won't look at me... And there's nothing I can do about any of it."

"We're all right here with you, 5. You've always got us. Both of you do. If there's anything you need from any of us, we'll help you."

That felt stupid to say. No one could really give them what they needed now. All the same, 5 uncovered his face to hug him back.

"This is all I need," he whispered. "Thank you."

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9 returned to his room a while later, wondering how he would find his own wife and child. Dixie had apparently figured out that something was wrong with the family, because she had been fidgety and anxious lately. Admittedly, she must have figured it out from the general lack of cheer in everyone's faces. No one had been able to laugh or even smile in a while. In retrospect, she had never known things to be so dismal before.

However, the room was solemnly quiet. Upon entering, the first thing he saw was 7's scarred back as she leaned against the side of Dixie's crib, watching the child sleep. Nap time was usually a peaceful and serene time of day; but today, he could tell there was a lot going on in her mind. He came to stand beside her and out his arm around her shoulders, gently kissing the top of her head. She sighed heavily and rested her head against his.

"She's such a sweet thing, isn't she?"

9 looked down at his sleeping daughter and allowed himself a small smile. She was beautiful, indeed. His treasure and greatest creation.

"We're lucky to have her, aren't we?"

"Yes, 7, yes we are."

"We're _extremely_ lucky..."

"Honey, I know what you're thinking, and the answer is no. Don't think like that."

"This could have happened to me," she insisted anyway.

"No, it couldn't have. It was a terrible accident, and it wasn't her fault."

"If its possible, it's possible. I could happen to anyone,"she insisted, covering her mouth with her hand to hide a grimace that threatened tears. "I could have lost her..."

He pulled her away from the crib and took her face in his hands, directing her eyes into his. "Stop that, and listen to me now. Pi has a terrible condition that she can't help, and you do not. This would never have happened to us, and you don't have to be afraid that it ever will."

"But how do you know for sure?"

"Because I read. Don't you trust me?"

She considered this for a moment, and then sighed sadly. She wrapped her arms around his waist and let him hold her close.

"I can't believe this is happening to them. They don't deserve this."

"I know they don't. But let me promise you something: 5 will never, ever, _ever_ love her less because of it. And if it had happened with us or ever could, I wouldn't love you less, either."

She have him a grateful squeeze. Perhaps her worrying had been stilled, finally. She certainly had no desire to carry another child, and she made no bones about it. But now, in light of the fact that even Stitchpunks could miscarry, the mere possibly of being pregnant again had her frightened to the core.

"Come on, 9, there has to be _something_ we can do. It's never this easy. There has to be a way. You always find a way for us."

"Things were so different before... Maybe death really is that easy."

"You just haven't thought hard enough about it yet. You can figure this out. If anyone can, it's you."

He inwardly appreciated her faith in him, because it was more than what he had for himself. At the same time, it restored a much-needed shred of hope. And in that instant, an idea began forming.

"Maybe there is a way..." But he shook his head. "I still can't bring their child back."

"They'll want to hear it, anyway. You never steer them wrong. They trust you."

"I've failed them so badly this time. The time they really needed me, I couldn't help them."

"You haven't failed them yet. Look at you trying. You haven't failed them until you've given up on them."

"That is true," he agreed, feeling rather cheered and very grateful. "I'll think on this, then. And maybe in the morning, I'll actually have an answer."

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It was hours later and well after dark before 5 found the nerve to return to his room. The light was out and Pi was in bed, burried depressingly under the blankets itch her back to him, exactly as he had left her. He wouldn't have been surprised if she hadn't moved at all since he had left.

He sighed sadly and crossed the room, climbing onto the bed to kneel beside her. She appeared to be sleeping, but he knew at once that she was only pretending. She just didn't want to have to speak to him. That crushed him. This fight had been so lonely, always being the one to give support, but never getting any back. If only she would look at him-even the barest sideways glance would have sufficed. If only she would reassure him that she loved him, like he had spent the past four days telling her.

Was her guilt really that heavy? Or did she blame him, somehow? As long as she kept her silence, he would never know. Knowing that she wouldn't respond, he bent low and kissed her face, reaching for her hand and holding it firmly in his own.

"Oh, Pi..." He lamented, knowing full well that she could hear him, but playing along with her facade to humor her. "You know I would find a way to the moon and back, if it would make this right. I would do anythign to fix this."

Perhaps something in that moved her. He heard her eyes flicker open all of a sudden, and her hand closed around his. It was the first real contact they had shared in days. Something about it eased the aching of his heart. He hoped that she finally felt a little peace as well.

"I love you, Fi," she whispered.

He couldn't help a relieved grin. It was so good to hear those words again.

"And I love you, Pi," he answered, snuggling closer to her. "Hey, we'll find our way through this together. But neither of us are alone. Not anymore."

"...Did you tell him?" She asked quietly.

"Yes, I did."

"Does he hate us now?"

"No, he does not. He's with us in this. And he isn't going to tell anyone."

She gave a relieved sigh, and then, to his joy, rolled over on her other side and rested her head against his chest.

"I'm sorry for everything."

"It's okay. I understand. I'm always here for you. Just promise me you'll never forget that."

She shook her head. "I won't."

That was all he needed to hear.

"Tomorrow's a new day, my love. There's always a new day..."


	3. Quick Fixes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> None today.

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_Quick Fixes_

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The next day, 9 was beyond happy to say that he finally had a good, solid idea. By no means would it repair the damage that had been done that week, but it would still give his brother and sister a way to heal. In fact, he felt so optimistic, he decided to go see them for himself instead of waiting for them to come out on their own. He couldn't wait to tell them.

Something must have changed suddenly in the night-instead of being barred shut, their bedroom door was wide open, gladly welcoming visitors. Cautiously peering inside, he saw Pi alone, sitting upright in the bed with her knees drawn to her chest, staring into space. He chose to take that as a very good sign. He understood she hadn't had the strength or enthusiasm to hold herself up lately.

But 5 wasn't around, which dissapointed him a bit. Hesitant to barge in on Pi's deep thinking, he cleared his throat loudly. She looked up at him at once, her face tired and stricken, but altogether not as bad as he had expected. He gave her a compassionate smile.

"May I come in?"

She nodded right away. "Of course," she agreed, patting the empty space beside her.

Once he was sitting beside her, he out his arm around her shoulder and gave her a gentle hug. "I feel like I should have come to see you sooner."

"No, it's alright, 9. I needed to be by myself," she answered. "I've been so sad..."

"We've all been sad, right along with you. We're your family now, and we love you. We're all right here for you."

"So..." She said slowly, "I understand you're in on our secret..."

"Yes," he agreed, just as slowly. "Yes, I am."

She looked up at him with a sort of puzzled expression. "You don't hate us now?"

He couldn't help a disbelieving chuckle, and cuddled his sister closer. "Kind of weird to hear it from him, yes; not what I would have wanted for you, no. But I certainly can't hate you for it. I've taken a lot of missteps in my own life-I wouldn't be where I am now without compassion. Perhaps especially from our 5."

To that, she ventured a grateful smile.

"Speaking of 5, where is he? I had wanted to talk to him."

"He took his turn on watch, early this morning. He should be down soon, I suppose; its been hours... But if you look there, I'm sure you'll find him."

"Thank you," he answered, leaving her a final hug and a brotherly kiss. "It's good to see you smiling, Pi. I had been worried about you. We all have been."

"Thank you for that," she returned. "Say hello to my husband for me, when you see him."

When he ascended to the watchtower, he spotted 5 at once by the window, also by himself. It was July now-the sun shone brightly, and the wind was warm and fast. All in all, not a bad place to think. Hearing the elevator clang into place, his brother looked over at him and dared to venture a smile.

"I had a feeling you'd be around," he mentioned, not sounding begrudged to have some company.

"Pi said you'd be up here," 9 explained as he came to stand beside him. "She also said to say hello."

"That's good. I'm glad she's speaking to me again."

It definitely showed. Their hearts were still broken, but they both looked better today.

"So now we just take it one day at a time," 5 continued pensively, returning his gaze to the courtyard below. "It's not going to be easy, though. We were so looking forward to having kids, you know? And now its never going to happen."

"Yeah, about that... I might have an idea."

5 looked up at once, his face hopeful and expectant.

"I still can't bring your child back. If I could, we'd be out there doing it right now. But maybe you can still have a family, after all."

"How? I'm listening."

"Pi is only a girl. She isn't fully grown yet; and I think she's due a final upgrade, anyway. Maybe now is the time to think about making her a new body."

5's eye was wide as he considered this. "We wouldn't have to take her apart... I never would have thought of that. Will that really work?"

"I did some research this morning. A womb is an annoyingly easy fix, but it still means disconnecting her soul wire. Her own soul would come apart, and she would die. But if we make her an entirely new body, with a working womb already inside it, that wouldn't be a problem anymore. It would take a little more time... But at least you'd be able to have children, this way."

"That sounds like a plan."

"We can start today, if you want. We could have it done before the summer's out, if we work quickly."

"I would say yes to that right now... But I should talk to her about it first. It's her body, and her soul. She should say yes before I do. My shift is almost up, anyway. I'll ask her."

"Do you think she'll say no?"

"No, I think she'll be thrilled. I just think she deserves to have the final say in it. I want to do what's best for her; but I really want to be her husband, not her master. She's spent enough time having other people making her choices for her."

"I understand that. In that case, I can finish up this shift. You go and see her. I'll be around, when you've made a decision."

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Pi had spent the past several minutes sitting still, listening patiently as her husband slowly, delicately explained that a solution had been found. She just let him speak and didn't interrupt-if there was a plan, she was all ears. A new body... A womb that could carry little souls... An entirely new chance... It was a lot to take in so suddenly.

"...You can do that?" She asked finally.

"If you want us to, yes. We could even begin today, if you'd like us to."

"Um..." Pi hesitated. She had expected to jump at the slightest chance of a solution; and this one was so good, so obvious, such an easy task for her dexterous family. Instead, she felt dubious for some reason she couldn't explain. Maybe it was just the suddenness of being offered a new shell? She simply wasn't sure.

She gazed down at her arms, chest, and legs, peppered with scars from her first encounter with the fifth clan. The many little rips had been repaired with such thought and care, so that they barely showed at all; and 5 had made many of these well-placed stitches, himself. Regarding her scars, she sighed.

"I had finally begun to feel comfortable in my own skin again..."

5 put his at around her and held her close, and took her hand in his. "I know its a lot to take in at once, but we just want you to think it over for a while. Whatever is most beneficial to you, that's what I want to do. But I'm not the one who should be deciding that."

"Oh... Yes, let me think about it," she agreed vaguely.

She felt more than anything that 5 was smiling, relieved to be a step closer to something. And in spite of her unsureity, that made her feel like smiling a little, as well. As soon as her initial surprise faded, she had a feeling she would reach a decision quickly.

Somewhere high overheard, a bell suddenly began to clang loudly. 5 sat up completely straight, straining to hear.

"The alarm bell," he commented. "Someone's here."

"Who do you think it is?" Pi asked, curious in spite of her warring emotions.

"I have a hunch," he answered, climbing off the bed, "but I hope its wrong." He picked up his pack for the first time in days and headed for the door. Even more intrigued by his vagueness, Pi dared to follow him out.

"You think it may be the third clan again?" She asked as they walked toward the entrance.

"I wouldn't be surprised," he answered, shaking his head sadly. "Hey, you don't have come if you don't want to."

"No, no, I do. And anyway, I should. It's been too long since I left our room. Walking feels... Good."

He nodded his head approvingly, and took her hand as they walked. She walked close beside him, and even rested her head on his shoulder. He had barley left her side in days... But somehow, it seemed as though he had been very at away all that time, and she had missed him so much. Being able to see again how stalwart and loyal he was made her heart melt. Not break-melt.

Maybe they were well on their way to healing, already.

Instead of going to the entrance, 5 led her straight to the workroom. And neither of them were too surprised to see Adar and Cheshvan had already been escorted there. Sivan was lying on her back on the work bench for the third time since the gathering, and 2 was already giving her a preliminary look over. Her breath sounded raspy, coming in short, strangled gasps. Even though she was no doctor, Pi knew that couldn't be a good sign.

"Thank goodness you're here, my boy," 2 said vaguely, not bothering to look up. "We've got a problem on our hands."

"Sounds like it," 5 agreed, marching to join him. "What's happened this time?"

"She woke up with a bad cough yesterday," Adar supplied. "But its steadily devolved, and now she can barely breathe. Have you any idea what's wrong?"

"Oh, there are still many things wrong with this one," 2 lamented, shaking his head. "Have you considered what we said the first time time at all?"

"All those operations," Cheshvan recalled, rubbing his neck sheepishly. "We just aren't sure..."

"Well, we may have no other choice, now. Perhaps when 9 finally gets here, we can make a temporary fix to ease her breathing; but it won't hold her forever."

While the two brothers shared a worried, dubious look, 9 burst into the room and went right to the work bench.

"Sorry about the wait. What have we got today?"

"Part of her respiratory wire is rusted through, and the whole thing is failing. She needs a new one, and quickly."

"Terrific," 9 sighed shortly. "Hang on, I've got one here that should fit. Just keep her still."

"And that's going to fix it, right?" Cheshvan clarified as his friend went to search a box of findings.

"Not forever, but it should do for now," he answered, producing a length of coiled wire. "Please tell me you have an answer for me this time."

"We just don't know, 9. It's so much for a little girl."

"We're running out of time and options, and so is she. And you can't just keep dragging her back and forth like this. One of these days, she isn't going to make the trip. You're lucky she made it this time."

He leaned into Sivan's line of sight and explained quickly, "I need you to take the biggest breath you can and hold it for a minute while I make this switch. I know its going to hurt, but I don't want you to be afraid, okay? I can make the switch quickly, but you have to try not to fight back. Can you do that?"

She nodded her head as best she could, and struggled to take a deep breath. It wasn't much, though. They would have to operate quickly, indeed.

"You hold her arms down for me," he instructed his father and brother. "I need someone to get her legs."

"I'll do it," Pi volunteered right away, glad to be useful again. The three doctors looked up, surprised to see her so willing. 2 hadn't even noticed her yet, but was too busy comment or leap up and hug her like he must have wanted.

"Alright, everyone, on the count of three," he directed, reaching for the socket he would disconnect. 2 and 5 each held Sivan by her wrists and shoulders, and Pi braced herself heavily against the girl's knees, preparing for a fight.

"One, two... Three!"

As he twisted the wire of of its socket, Sivan was only able to give half a scream of pain before her ability to breath was completely taken away. Pi hoped she still had enough air to last the next few moments. But her brother worked as quickly as he promised-he twisted the other end of the wire free, tossed it to the floor, and began attaching the new wire where the old one had been. A twist on one end, a twist on the other end, and the whole thing was over with a pop of sparking electricity.

Sivan was finally able to take in a deep, gasping gulp of air, but it was choked with sobs of fear and pain. Off to the side, her brothers looked relieved if not rattled. The rest of them moved out of the way as their guests came to comfort her, holding her hand and lovingly patting her head.

Pi was just glad it was over. She had never been involved in anything so serious before. Curious, she bent to pick up the discarded wire. Parts of it still gleamed silver and brassy, but a lot of it was permeated deep into its core with rust. Tightening her hand over one of the rusted areas, the metal crumbled to red dust in her fingers. Shocked by the closeness of that call, she dropped it and brushed her hand clean against her thigh.

_Oops... That stain isn't coming out any time soon._

After they had all had a moment to calm down, 9 turned to his friends with a serious look.

"I know that didn't seem like much, but that was a pretty serious operation. That wire is the only thing that allows her to breath, and for about half a minute, she didn't have one. I don't know if the one I removed even counted anymore. And that's only scratching the surface. Her wiring is little more than a pile of rust as this point, and its just going to keep falling apart."

"So what should we do?"

"Adar... I can't let you take her back. One more close call like this with three hours between us, and she could die long before you make it here."

"Well I can't let you operate like this over and over on her. I just can't let that happen to her."

"There may be other options; I don't want to have to keep doing this, either. What would Tishrei say, if I offered to make her a new body?"

The brothers looks interested at once.

"I would think he'd leap at it," Cheshvan agreed. "But, do you think she's ready for a full upgrade?"

"Maybe I can make something intermediary for her, somewhere between where she is now and where she's going to be when she's ready. In any case, I think it's better than having to replace every wire one at a time. The rest of her isn't in the best shape, either. I think she deserves a better vessel than this, after everything she's been through."

"How long will that take?"

"Perhaps a month or two. But if she stays here where we can keep an eye on her, we can keep her alive until it's done. She'll be in good hands, I promise. Sivan, what do you think?"

"Yes," she whimpered right away. "Yes, please! Just make this top!"

"Very well, then," he said finally, and then turned to leave. "Everyone wait here for a few minutes, and I'll set up a place in the infirmary."

The workroom was suddenly very calm and quiet now. There was a sense of peace, that everything was going to be just fine, and Pi let that seep into her skin. All the solutions being found and the fresh starts to be had made her feel like there was a promising future again. After the long days of spiritual turmoil she had spent, it was refreshing.

At last, 2 had a chance to get up and give her a hug. He threw his arms around her neck, overjoyed to see her.

"Oh my, but its good to see you out of bed, my dear," he said quietly. "How are you feeling?"

"Better, I think," she answered. "Thank you for letting me be a part of this. It means a lot to me."

"I'm just glad to see you back on your feet. How we've all worried over you."

While they enjoyed their tender moment, Adar and Cheshvan looked concerned.

"Has something happened?" Adar asked.

"Oh... We'll tell you about it at the next gathering," 5 answered, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. "It's too soon."

"We understand, then."

"You'll both be welcome to stay the night, if you want to. You surely hurried here as fast as you could; you must be tired."

"We would appreciate that, though the night is hardly nesecary," Adar insisted. "We should be home as soon as possible. The others will want to know what's going on."

"Take all the time you need. Make yourselves at home. If 9 were here to tell you himself, he would say the same. He'll probably insist on it."

"He's a good man like that. Thank you, for everything."

A minute later, 9 returned with a smile on his face.

"Everything's set. Bring her over, whenever she's ready."

5 didn't let Sivan move; instead, he scooped her up in his arms before she got the chance to try. She would have tried-she was also and Innocent, and wouldn't have wanted to begrudge anyone on her account. Of course, 5 could never have been begrudged to help a little girl in pain. As he carried her out, she wrapped her arms around him and burried her face in his chest.

"Avie's going to be sad," she commented. "I was so happy to have my big sister back. I'm going to miss her."

"It's good to have people who love us," he agreed.

"I'll bet she'll come try to stay here with me."

"We'll let her, if she does. My brother and sister wouldn't leave me, either."

She sighed somewhat contentedly to that. The idea seemed to have cheered her greatly, and it made Pi smile, as well. She followed the others to infirmary, wondering if there was anything she could help them with. Being useful had suddenly awoken her from placidness; she didn't want to fall back into despair.

So she waited patiently while the others carefully settled the girl into her new bed, waiting for a moment of usefulness. Once 5 was free, she came and pulled him aside.

"Is there anything I can do here? Anything at all?"

He gave her a smile, touched that she would want to help. He lowered his head against hers, brushing a lock of hair out of her face.

"If you would sit and keep her company until she falls asleep, I think she would like it very much."

"I'd also like that," she agreed. "I suppose you boys have a lot to talk about."

"There's a lot of stuff to do suddenly. Lots of things to put in order."

Lowering her voice, she said, "Hey, honey, about the body... I did some thinking about it, after the operation and-well, Sivan should take priority, its not like I'm just going to drop dead without an upgrade, but..."

She slowly nodded her head. "Yes."

5 also nodded with a thoughtful noise, his smile undimming. "Okay, then. I'll get right in it."

"What about her? She really needs this-I can wait. I'm happy to wait, actually."

"I can do two things at once, if I really want to. I'm going to do this for you, with my own two hands. I'm going to make your new body as perfect and beautiful as the rest of you. I promise."

She beamed right back at him. "I wouldn't leave it to anyone else."

he held her close, and she let herself melt into the welcome embrace.

"I'm so proud of you, Pi. I always have been, and nothing will ever make me stop. I love you-so much much."

"And I love you, Fi," she answered, feeling like she might cry again. Only this time, it was from joy.

He finally had to release her, and he began shooing everyone else out of the room. She wondered exactly how much of that conversation they had heard; Adar and Cheshvan looked worried and confused, and everyone else just looked mournful.

"Alright, you guys, come on. Give the kid some air. We've all got a lot of work to do," he said as he headed them out. Before he followed them entirely, 9 stopped beside her and took her hand.

"You'll be okay here?"

"Of course. If I can be helpful, I'm glad to rise to it."

He answered with a reassured smile, gently squeezing her hand before following the others. Once they had gone, Pi shut the door behind them. Again, everything was still and calm, and that good feeling of everything turning out right surrounded her like a balm.

"So," she said in a friendly voice, "we're alone, at last. May I sit down?"

"Of course," Sivan agreed, patting the empty space on the bed. Pi came and sat beside her covered feet, a companionable but respectable distance, she decided. She held the girl's hand and gave her a calm smile.

"You know, this was the bed I stayed in the first time I was here," she mentioned. "All these scars were mended here. Neat, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess... Pi, you're so sad. Why?"

"Oh, you mustn't bother yourself with that, Sivan; you've got enough problems of your own to worry about."

"My chest is sore. And it still hurts to breathe. Do you think he really fixed it for now?"

"9 may be the best doctor of our race; I doubt he did anything wrong. You did just go though something pretty serious, sweetie. I'd have been surprised if you weren't a little sore. Just lay back and sleep for a while. Have you ever noticed, everything just seems better after a good nap?"

"I guess I have; I've been sleeping a lot. I'm just tired all the time now. Pi, I've missed six years of my life being dead. Now that I'm back, I don't know what I should do with myself. I'm not sure if I even know how to be alive anymore. What am I going to do?"

"Hm... I had the same problem, once I was freed."

"Is that why you're so sad?"

"I thought I told you not to dwell on that."

"Alright. So, what did you do?"

"One day at a time," she answered with a sigh. "There's been plenty to do these last few weeks. Keeping busy always helps. Life is an adventure, after all. You never really stop learning about yourself, I think."

Sivan made a thoughtful face as she considered this. A wide yawn interrupted her thinking, and she sighed.

"Maybe I should take that nap now. You won't let me sleep through my brothers saying goodby, will you?"

"Absolutely not. I'll wake you when they come back. For now, though, get some rest. I'll be right here."

Sivan smiled her appreciation, and closed her eyes. It must have been mere seconds before she was slumbering peacefully.

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Cheshvan had tired quickly of all the discussion going on. It was entirely too much talking and too little action for his liking. He was a Warrior-he was all about getting things done, preferably with the use of sharp metal. Apparently, though, there was nothing to be done but calm, patient doctoral stuff that he didn't understand. He didn't even have the business of officiating over any of it.

So while Adar quietly discussed their sister's future with their learned friends, Cheshvan had wandered off on his own. The fifth clan's library was overflowing with books, most of the massive collection strewn over the floor, and many of the enormous bookshelves tipped over. It was a mess that they would never be able to restore at their size. He wondered how much knowledge was slowly being lost, fading and mildewing in the dark and damp.

"Well, well, look who it is!"

Cheshvan turned around and was surprised-though not displeased-to see that 7 had found him.

"I heard you were back," she said with a rueful smile, which quickly turned upside down. "Is Sivan okay?"

"Perhaps. Your husband wants to make her a new body now. I'm not sure how I feel about that."

"That's quite a decision," 7 agreed, looking surprised. "At this rate, building bodies is all they'll be doing."

"Lots happening around here, huh?"

"Yeah... Lots of things," she sighed. "Hey, I have an extra spear in my room; why don't you come outside and spar with me for a bit?"

Cheshvan lit up right away. He hadn't trained much with spears, and he would have preferred a nice sturdy sword instead; but a chance to get out into the sun and be active was welcome. While 7 went to get their weapons, she directed him to the exit and told him to wait for her. When she returned, she tossed him the smaller of the two spears she had brought.

"No one touches this but me," she said defensively, lovingly regarding her own weapon. "My big brother made this for me. It was a wedding present, and I'm very fond of it."

"So, how's the baby?" Cheshvan asked as they walked into the courtyard.

"Loud and big. It seems like she never stops talking, these days. As soon as she gets her upgrade and can learn more words, I'm not sure what we're going to do. But then, her silly father had hoped for as much."

"Your 9 is a good father. You must be very proud."

"Yes I am. Every single day."

She seemed cheerful enough. However, it still seemed like something dreadful held this household in a death grip. He thought about asking his fellow Warrior about it... But she engaged him in combat before he could think much further on it.

_Maybe she knew what I was about to ask...?_

In spite of being thwarted so cleverly, he thuroughly enjoyed their first first round. He hadn't found a chance to spar with 7 before; she was the only Warrior he hadn't battled yet. And she held her own impressively, for such a slender and graceful young woman. She could have bested him easily; but he got the impression that she let him that first round because he was her guest, and it wouldn't exactly be polite to floor him right off the bat.

While they sat and recovered from the first round, Cheshvan finally found his chance.

"7, something unpleasant happened here recently. You can't deny it, and I'd like to know."

She looked back at him with an odd face.

"...It's really not my story to tell," she answered sadly. "Maybe at the next gathering we can tell you all. But for now, its just too soon. Suffice it to say, Sivan will _not_ be lost on our watch: we've lost too much recently to lose someone else so easily."

That was a strange clue, and a strange way to say it. Cheshvan got an immediate and unexplainable feeling that if only they would explain it to him, we would understand completely. Perhaps he could even give them council.

In the meantime, it was better to dwell on happier things. He picked up his borrowed spear.

"Ready for the second round? Or do you need another minute?"

7's smile returned and she hopped to her feet. "No, I'm ready."

"Great. Because this time, I'm not going so easy on you, you flighty thing."

Her grin became determined. "Bring it on, you god of war."

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3 and 4 never minded looking after their little sister for hours at a time. She was already so smart, and they had so much they wanted to teach her. She seemed to be taking an early interest in books, though she seemed to enjoy ripping pages apart more than anything. In an attempt to discourage this, they were trying to teach her the ABC's.

That was turning out to be difficult. If only they could sing her the alphabet, she might have understood better. She seemed especially inclined to music. Alas-though they could communicate words with definite emotion, they couldn't sing them.

Today, Dixie was ball of restlessness. 7 had left her with them a while ago, because she wanted to see her friends. The twins were content to stay out of the way. Sivan had already been in and out with various medical problems, and they wanted no part in that graphicness. However, Dixie was very well aware that new people were here; she kept trying to escape the globe to look for them.

"I am go see!" She kept insisting. "I am go _seeeeeeee_!"

She was entirely too articulate to be denied. At last, her big sis scooped her up, and the three of them were off to search for their guests. Naturally, they went to search the workroom first. Their broken younger friend wasn't there; instead they found 9 and 5 discussing something with the Third clan Bearer (What was his name? They could never quite remember...), and 2 was sitting at the table making what looked like a list.

The twins came in silently as they usually did, but Dixie immediately betrayed them.

"Daddy!" She squealed, reaching her short arms toward him. "Daddy, _my_ daddy!"

The men's faces had been low and grave; but hearing and seeing the enchanting little girl made them all smile. 9 came around to meet them, not looking displeased to see them in the slightest.

"Well, hello, precious girl," he greeted, playfully snatching her out of 4's arms. He snuggled her close and nuzzled her little face, making her laugh uproariously. She wrapped her arms as far around his neck as she could and hugged him back.

"My daddy," she said quietly.

"My baby," he agreed. The he finally turned to the twins. "Good to see you guys. Can we help you?"

 _"Just wondering how Sivan's doing,"_ 3 explained. _"Is she around?"_

"Oh, we had a close call a little while ago, but she's alright now."

_"Whew."_

_"Can we go see her?"_

"I suppose its okay, as long as you're gentle. We're trying to let her rest, so don't go crazy, okay? She's down in the infirmary with Pi; she'll be we'll taken care of, but I'm sure she'll be happy to see you."

 _"Oh! Pi's out of bed?_ " 4 asked, excited.

"I'll tell you all about it later. Just go on and give Sivan some company, if she's awake. And why don't you take this one with you," he suggested, handing Dixie back. "She enjoyed her at the gathering; and if I remember correctly, they had fun together last time she was here."

As the twins turned and left, Dixie leaned over 4's shoulder to wave. "Bye-bye, daddy!" She called. "Bye-bye, Fi, bye-bye, daddad! Lalala you!"

Which was her way of saying, "I love you," because she couldn't quite pronounce her v's yet. In any case, it was simply too precious for words.

When they arrived at the infirmary, they found Sivan sleeping peacefully. Pi was sitting on the edge of the bed, watching her diligently; but then, it looked more like she was gazing into space, thinking. Again, Dixie broke the solemn silence.

"Look, sis, my Pi," she pointed out. Apparently, being the family's only child, she had decided that everyone belonged to her. She had been looking for Pi for the past several days, and kept asking where she was. It had started out as a sort of game to her-that maybe her new auntie was hiding somewhere, waiting for someone clever to find her. But as the days dragged on and everyone continued not to smile much, she had started to figure out that something wasn't right.

So the twins didn't really blame her, for being so excited. She had finally found her auntie Pi. She had been right here, in the infirmary all this time! A clever hiding place, indeed.

Pi didn't look like she particularly wanted to be alone, either. She even gave her nieces and nephew a cheerful smile.

"Long time, no see," she commented. "Come for a visit?"

 _"Well, we were going to,"_ 3 answered dissapointedly, " _but it looks like that won't be happening for a bit."_

_"She's doing better now, right? Nothing... Weird, I hope."_

"I think she'll be alright," Pi agreed evenly. "They've moved to make her a new body, you know."

_"Wow! That's a big change."_

_"It's really that bad?"_

"It sounds like it. Nothing they can't handle, of course... 5 offered me the same choice today; and I said yes, in the end. What do you think?"

Maybe that was a little surprising. Even though Pi was married to their uncle, she wasn't much older than they were now. So the three of them got along fine; but whenever they traded advice or secrets, it felt weird.

 _"That's quite a thing,"_ 3 said at last, not sure what else there was to say.

"We've decided that its better this way. But for some reason, I still feel uncertain. Maybe it's just because its so unknown. It's a little scary, you know?"

 _"I think you'll be happier that way,"_ 4 decided. " _When your consciousness wakes up in your new body, you'll understand."_

_"It's like your soul slowly outgrew its shell, and it happened so slowly you didn't even know it. Suddenly, you wonder how you were even able to move or breathe. You just feel so much better."_

_"Well, that what it was like for us, anyway. I think you can also see it in our sister,"_ 4 continued, setting Dixie on the floor. _"This little body isn't enough for her anymore. She needs one that's capable of more, because her soul is capable of more. At least, it will be, in a few months. I think she still has some lessons to learn in this one, first."_

Dixie toddled right over the bed and scrambled up like a little monkey. Pi picked her up and gave her a gentle hug.

"I've missed you, sweetie. Have you missed me?"

"I am lookin' you," she answered, snuggling into her chest. "I not findin' you. I a-sad."

"I was sad, too."

Dixie perked up suddenly and looked all around the room. "Daddad?" She asked.

Pi smiled and shook her head. "Wrong one, sweetie."

Dixie looked impossibly confused.

"Oh yeah, the numbers... Don't worry, you'll figure it out eventually."

3 grinned. _"I'm sure glad my name doesn't have a dozen different uses."_

 _"I know,"_ 4 agreed, rolling her eyes. _"It was a neat idea to give us numbers for names, but sometimes it's just annoying."_

"Isn't that a truth. I wonder what the Third clan does, whenever a month happens to be one of their names? I suppose they get confused sometimes, as well. Remembering to use a different word for 'also' all the time can be a bother... But 2 never seems to mind."

"Daddad or no?" Dixie demanded impatiently.

"No, not daddad."

The baby pouted dissapointedly, still looking confused, and now aggravated. If someone used the wrong word just once more...

 _"So, new bodies all around,_ " 3 commented. _"Sounds like dad isn't going to get much sleep for a while. Do you think they'll be okay?"_

"They know what they're doing. I'm sure they'll be fine."

 _"Anything special you're hoping for in yours?"_ 4 asked.

"I just want a body that can make a baby," Pi sighed. "4, you can have children now, right?"

 _"Hm... Oh yes, I suppose I can,"_ she answered thoughtfully. _"It's part of the teen upgrade, I guess; my old body didn't have a womb, but this one does. I hadn't thought about it before-I certainly don't plan on having kids anytime soon."_

3 scoffed angrily to that. _"Not the way you carry on,"_ he mumbled. His twin suddenly turned on him and have him a hard shove.

 _"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" She_ hissed. _"It's none of your business!"_

"...Okay... I'll just choose to pretend like that didn't happen..."

_"Oh, don't listen to anything he says-he's nuts! Just ignore him, and maybe he'll learn to stay out of other people's business."_

3 was less than pleased, but he let it go and changed the subject. _"I think I heard mom talking about pink buttons-for Dixie's new body. We have a few somewhere, and I think they might be a little big; but a single button right over her heart would be cute."_

_"That would be cute. What about you, Pi? Any ideas for your new closure?"_

"I like my hidden buttons. They're like a little hidden surprise that only a few people know about, you know? And I like that they're mother of pearl; they're very pretty. What do you have?"

 _"We used to open from the back,"_ 3 supplied, opening the front of his cloak to show off the three wooden buttons on his chest. _"It was kind of a hassle. But now we both open from the front, like normal people, see?"_

 _"I'm only a little different from him,"_ 4 added, moving to open her own cloak. But 3 suddenly swiped her hand away.

_"You can't just go around exposing yourself, sis. It's indecent."_

_"Would you stop it? They're just buttons."_

_"They're breasts. You gave yourself breasts, and you need to stop acting like its no big deal. Take that thing off, and you're practically naked."_

_"My silly brother is so modest,"_ she excused, rolling her eyes. _"But yes, I suppose that was the general idea."_

"Huh. That's not a bad idea. Maybe I should talk to 5 about that. I kind of like it; and I can't imagine he would say no."

_"Oh brother. You guys are so gross. Stop giving her ideas, 4."_

_"I don't see you helping. It's not our fault you're the only boy here."_

_"If you're going to spend all your time talking about breasts and wombs and girly junk like that, I'm just going to leave."_

"Okay, okay, we'll stop. Calm down."

 _"...Well, you'd better,"_ he answered doubtfully. _"How about something we can all enjoy? Pi, do you know the ABC's song? We want to teach Dixie, but we can't exactly sing."_

"I do know the song. How about it, Dixie? Want to hear a little song?"

Her eyes lit up. "I like a little song."

"Want me to sing it to you?"

"I like a singin'!"

"Then you'll know your ABC's in no time."


	4. Construction Zone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lol, 4 and 6... The plans...... 8D
> 
> Also, I am particularly fond of Dixie in this chapter. :)

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_Construction Zone_

2222222222

For a long time that was thankfully far behind him, 6 hadn't been able to draw anything beyond the terrifying visions he had in his sleep-over and over again. Moments when he had been cheerful enough to draw something pleasant had been few and far between, and his small living space had quickly been wallpapered with pictures of the talisman. Everyone else had found it frightening, and assumed that he must have lost his mind to fear. In fact, that wasn't true; seeing the hundreds of drawings, added to daily, always gave him hope that his reoccurring vision would eventually come to pass.

These days, he still used pictures to try and put his visions into words for his friends; he still wasn't great at articulating his thoughts or feelings, though he was getting better. However, he was an artist freed, and he found the inspiration to draw lovely things nearly every day. He doodled for fun more than for the Voice now, and it made him very happy.

The last real vision he'd had to put on paper had been a little more than a month ago-the night Alpha had been slain. The vision had struck him the moment it had happened, in the very early hours of the morning. 4 had surprised him a few days later by framing the picture and hanging it on their wall, where they could always see it. It was an excellent example of his cryptic but beautiful style; and in its crypticness, it told the story of one of their race's greatest battles. It was all there: the four heroic warriors; the children who had been saved; the Innocent who had been freed; the monster who had been destroyed; and the noble sacrifice Delta had made to secure that victory.

4 had commented that it reminded her of something called the Bayoux Tapestry, a woven masterpiece that also depicted an important battle in human history. 6 couldn't remember what else she had said about the tapestry, but it fascinated him. He hoped he could see it for himself, one day...

Today, he had been inspired by a picture in a book the twins were studying. It was a children's textbook on geology, he thought they had said; but the picture he had seen was of a pleasant seascape, whereon the water cycle was illustrated. 6 had never seen the ocean, but it was another beautiful thing he hoped he would get to see before he died for real. He had no idea what it was really like; but that picture had been so nice, he decided to draw it for himself, exactly as he hoped it would be when he finally got there.

The sun was high above the water in his picture, shining furiously on the waves below. The water took up most of the page, leaving little room for the shore on the very bottom. The sand was going to be a tricky texture; as he added more and more detail to the graceful waves, he was already planning ahead how he would come at it. He was thinking so hard, he didn't notice the presence behind him until a pair of arms wrapped themselves around his waist.

_"That's beautiful. I can't wait to see it when it's done."_

6 smiled sheepishly, still getting used to people complimenting his work. "We should go, sometime," he suggested.

 _"It's a long journey,"_ 4 answered with a sigh, resting her head in the crook of his neck. _"But you're right. We should go to the beach, sometime."_

"It must be nice... The third clan is back."

_"Sivan is staying for a while this time. Dad doesn't want her going back, and I don't blame her. She doesn't look good at all. He's making her a new body, you know."_

"She'll like that. Her soul is so nice, but her body is bad. It isn't good."

_"Hey, 6? Will we ever have kids?"_

That question was so startling he nearly smudged his picture. It was kind of uncomfortable to think about. He couldn't answer that right away; he wasn't even sure if that was something he wanted at all.

_"Not right now, of course, but... Someday."_

"You're not afraid?"

_"No, I was just thinking. I hadn't thought about it, but maybe 3 has a point. Maybe we should calm down a bit."_

That was admittedly a relief. Carrying on the way they had for the past few months was fun, but something about it always put a bad taste in his mouth later. Having a girlfriend had turned out to be very nice-he had never expected such a thing could happen to a weird little guy like him; but having a girlfriend with so many needs sometimes seemed like more of a bother than it was worth. All he ever really asked of her was to be gentle and understanding, to walk and talk with him about things, and to occasionally snuggle him when he was in a mood. To be a dear friend and companion, basically. What more could a guy want, right? She always demanded so much more from him. Meeting those demands had its charms, but it still made him uncomfortable most of the time.

He decided to pose an awkward question of his own. He turned to look at her.

"Will we ever be married?"

_"Um..."_

They had spoken briefly of this in the past, but the consensus was that it will a little soon. 6 didn't care-he loved his 4 very much, and wanted badly to be her husband. The sooner, the better, he thought. Apparently, she had other ideas.

"Are you afraid of me?"

_"What? No, no, that's not it at all!"_

"Do you love me?"

 _"Of course I do,"_ she insisted, sounding hurt that he would ask such a thing. _"It's just, I'm only a kid. And so are you. How do you think that would look?"_

"So is Pi. She wasn't afraid."

_"That was different."_

"Everything is always different," he grumbled. He was getting really tired of people saying that around the library. It was starting to seem like the go-to excuse everyone used to not fix things, even though they claimed to have the power to do so. Hearing 4 toss it around so lightly was disheartening.

_"There are still so many things we have to do. Think of all the things we'd have to give up, after a commitment like that."_

"It would be the same. Only... Different."

Astonished to have one of her better arguments turned on her, 4 sighed with a rueful smile. But she still looked uncertain.

_"Oh, I just don't know..."_

"But its yes or no. That's all there is."

_"For now, it has to be a no, 6. But it won't always be. I'm sure we'll be married someday, but now just isn't the right time, you know? We'll start making real plans when I'm closer to my next upgrade, and that's only a few years away. But like this? It's not quite right."_

"Lots of things aren't quite right, right now."

_"Don't be like that. I said we should calm down, didn't I?"_

"I want to stop."

_"...Altogether? That's a little drastic, don't you think?"_

"It isn't right, either."

Deep down inside, he knew she knew. She just didn't like to admit it, because she was enjoying herself too much. She would also have to own that she had been mistaken about something; and with a head full of knowledge, she hated being wrong. He wondered vaguely if part of it was some sort of instinct-she was a Nurterer, after all. She had asked about children as a passing, hopeful thought of the future... But he wondered just how badly she wanted to be a mother. Maybe more than even she was aware of. To all of this, he sighed sadly.

"So, someday. Lots of somedays..."

She took his hands reassuringly in her own.

_"All those somedays will be here tomorrow, if we don't think about it like that. The time between then and right now will fly by, trust me. In any case, no matter how far away those somedays really are, we'll always have each other. You're not going away, are you?"_

"No, never."

_"Neither am I. Whether we're married and have a bunch of kids or not, I'm going to stay right here, and live my life right next to you. So don't worry, okay?"_

"I don't worry. I'm not worrying. I'm just sad. I don't like waiting."

_"I'm not a fan, either. Hey, why don't we take a walk and talk about something else? There's a lot happening around here to be talked about. And all of it is exciting and good."_

6 glanced over his shoulder at his unfinished seascape, but quickly decided that it could wait. He still wasn't sure how he was going to pull off the texture of the sand. Maybe after a nice walk with his beloved, he would have some ideas. So he let 4 take him by the hand and lead him out of the room.

 _"I'm serious, a lot of stuff happened today. I can't wait to tell you everything!_ "

He couldn't wait to hear everything. It sounded like the future would come quickly and brightly, just like she said it would.

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5 spent the next several days in and out of the infirmary, sitting with Sivan and hammering out the finer points of her new body. The thought of designing her new body had cheered her completely, in spite of the obvious pain she was in. Already, the details she had dictated were making for a very different shell than the one she had.

Her skin was pale yellow, from the top of her bare head to her ankles, though the blotchy gray mildew stains refused to come out. She had decided that she liked the color combination, though: she wanted gray fabric for her arms and back, instead of being stark yellow from top to toe.

"If the fabrics aren't the same, that wouldn't be so bad," she added. "I think that sounds kind of fun!"

She had also asked for silver metal work, because she decided that gold or brass would look gaudy against the gray and yellow. She knew a lot about color; they supposed it was because her sister was a painter. Luckily for her, silver was the easiest finish to find findings in. There were already stockpiles in the workroom, and several lengths of cloth she could choose from. 5 had found some gray linen that she liked very much, but they didn't seem to have anything yellow. Hunting for some would be an adventure that he was looking forward to. For only having one eye, he had always been good at finding things.

Pi was also making herself busy by helping him with the project in an way she could. She had always hoped she would be able to help him with his work, and he had been looking forward to having her assistance. It hadn't seemed like a good idea, when she had been pregnant; having something to keep her hands busy was very healthy for her now, though. She was smiling, even laughing, and enjoying herself again. That filled him with joy and relief.

It was inconvenient sometimes, however. Hiding the blue prints he had done for her body was hard with her around all the time, and he was determined to make the finished product a surprise. Over all, it wasn't much different from the way she was now. The colors were almost the same, only a little darker; her magenta arms and legs would be a deeper, rosier pink. Her torso would be the same light, creamy tan, only less sun bleached. Her hair would be longer, but he was still hunting for a thick yarn that would suffice. He wondered if Sigma and Epsilon still had some...?

He wasn't looking forward to explaining what had happened to Pi's parents, but they deserved to know; especially Sigma, who had worked so hard to keep their secret. Even if she had chosen to be happy for them, he imagined she must be dissapointed and a little angry with him. He wasn't sure if Gamma and Theta should know yet. Maybe Pi would tell them about it in her own time.

In the meantime, he was happy that she was being so optimistic. With the tragedy behind them and a bright future before them, she had found the courage to ask a few questions she didn't want to ask.

"Do you think it's normal to still feel so tired?" She asked one evening.

"I would imagine," he answered slowly. "Carrying a whole other person is a lot to ask of a body. It appears so suddenly, and then its not there anymore just as suddenly. I don't know... 7 said she experienced a lot of physical and emotional pain both ways. You should ask her about it; I think she can tell you more."

"I guess I didn't really help much with that..."

"Why don't we talk about something else, honey? You mentioned something about buttons earlier, but we didn't get to talk about it much. What did you have in mind?"

"Something along the lines of what 4's got going on," she answered, flirtatiously vague.

"Oooooh, I like the sound of that. Do go on."

"Think we can find mother of pearl? I _do_ love mother of pearl."

"I can arrange that. I don't think we have the buttons here, but I know where I can get some."

"And I absolutely have the figure to rock that look," she added, striking a pose, "don't you think?"

He leaned back against the wall and took a second to visualize it. It made him feel kind of tingly all over.

"I could rock that figure..."

"What was that?"

"Oh, nothing."

"I heard that! Stop pretending you don't want this," she teased.

"Oh, but I do," he insisted, pulling her into his arms.

"Fi, you've been so secretive. Come on! Tell me about my body."

"I'm not telling you anything."

" _Tell me_!"

"I can't, that would ruin the surprise."

"What, are you giving me an extra arm or something?"

"Not a bad idea. All the more of you to love."

"Am I taller?"

"Possibly."

"How much taller?"

"I'm not telling you."

"Oh, I hate you."

"Stop pretending you don't want this."

"Shut up, you! ...But it is true, isn't it."

"Hm," he mused, running his hand over her back. He felt his thumb brush a stitched scar just below her shoulder-he had personally mended that one, he remembered. She had too many scars, inside and out, for such a sweet young lady. He couldn't wait to get her into a fresh, whole body.

"I wonder if this is one of those hugs that could turn into something more..."

"Maybe it could," she agreed. "Not _too_ much more, mind you."

"I would never ask that much. I know what that means to you."

"It was just too easy, that night. It happened so suddenly; it can happen just as suddenly next time. If I lost another child... Oh, Fi, that would kill me."

"I'm not going to let that happen again. Next time, we'll have insurance."

The next afternoon, after his turn on watch (where he would work on Pi's blueprints without being hovered over) 5 returned to the workroom to continue making good on his promise. The room was unusually empty and quiet... Except that he spotted a pair tiny feet under to workbench. He got on his knees to invetigate, and found the rest of his niece.

"Dixie, what are you doing under there?"

"Go 'way!" She said. "I a-hidin'."

"Hiding? From what?"

"Mommy daddy say I takin' bath. I am _no_ takin' bath! I a-hidin'."

"Now, now, you shouldn't be hiding from your mommy and daddy who love you so much," he answered, amused. "You should go take a bath."

"Dadd say I a-filthy. Mean daddy..."

"Well, you are pretty filthy," he pointed out. It looked like she had been playing in the mud near their garden; it was hard to tell which parts of her legs were burlap and which were mud.

"I a-no filthy!" She insisted. "I a precious girl."

"I know. You've been told so from the day since you were born," he agreed with a smile. "Amazingly, it is possibly to be precious and filthy at the same time. Come on, sweetie, lets go get you in that bath and get you un-filthy. Then you can go back to just being precious again, okay?"

"Nuh-uh," she said, shaking her head and backing away. "I am not likin' a bath. I just be filthy."

Well, she wasn't coming out on her own. But 5 had an idea to coax her out. He stood up and looked through the papers on the table until he found her blueprints, and knelt again.

"Hey, Dixie, want to see something neat?" He asked, waving the paper for her to see.

"Ooh, I a-see," she squealed, toddling closer. But he backed up a little.

"Come on out of there and I'll show you. But only if you'll come with me so you can take a bath."

Dixie hesitated, trying to decide whether it was worth it or not. Her curiosity quickly won out, and she cautiously shuffled into plain sight. 5 scooped her into his lap and held up the paper.

"Do you know who that is?"

She regarded the drawing for a moment with a look of deep concentration, but finally shrugged. "I dunno. Who dis?"

"That's you, sweetie."

"What?" She squeaked, astounded. "I me!"

"Yes, you are, but this is what you're going to be, in another month or two. We've told you about your big girl body, you know?"

"Ooh, I a-be a big girl," she agreed excitedly, clapping her hands.

"Yeah, and this is it. Your daddy drew this, and he's making it right now, just for you. He can't be such a mean daddy to do something like that for you, now can he?"

"Oh. He la-me, he gimme life."

"He sure did. So what do you say? Will you please go take a bath now?"

"Oh, okay," she answered, sounding like she didn't mind so much anymore. Leaving the blueprint on the table where he had found it, he carried her out of the workroom. As he walked, she rested her head on his shoulder and let her short, muddy legs swing freely. She stuffed her fingers into her mouth, and began humming random notes in time to his pace.

"What's that you're singing?"

"Oh, I a-makin' up a lil' song, like mommy," she answered. "I like a-mommy singin'. She a pretty mommy."

"And you're a pretty baby."

"Yeah. I a sweet baby."

She was so easy to engage. And engaging her was fun because she always had an answer, and an adorable way of answering. She was excellent at carrying on a conversation. And he noticed that she had an amazing sense of rhythm; she continued humming random notes, in nearly perfect beat to his step. As an experiment, he occasionally quickened or slowed his pace, and she adjusted the tempo of her humming each time. They made a game of it, and she sometimes stopped humming for a second or two to giggle happily.

After searching for about 15 minutes, he finally spotted his brother walking out of the globe, looking upset and worried.

"A baby is a terrible thing to lose," he greeted. 9 looked up, and the worry was replaced with relief and no small amount of exasperation.

"A baby is an easy thing to lose, apparently," he answered, hurrying to collect his daughter. "Where on earth have you been, young lady? We've been looking everywhere for you!"

"I a-hidin'," she chirped proudly, always happy to have outsmarted her clever father.

"She picked a good hiding place this time," 5 commented. "I found her in the workroom, under the table."

"Oh, haven't I told you that you can't go in there, baby? It's dangerous in there for you."

"But I a big girl," she insisted. "You am not find me!" She cheered.

"Hm." 9 was obviously not impressed.

"But I am see a-big girl body, and I am takin' bath now."

"You're coming quietly this time? That's a pleasant surprise."

"Oh no, I a-no quietly. A-still singin'." With that, she let her head flop onto his shoulder and resumed her humming. Without a beat to hum to, the rhythm was suddenly as random as the notes.

"She's always singing," 9 commented with a smile. "I love that she loves to sing."

"Well, she's always being sung to. Her rhythm is amazing."

"And gets better all the time, just like her vocabulary. Thanks for finding her. I'm sure you can see, she _really_ needs that bath."

"Ain't that the truth," 5 agreed, brushing some dried mud off his chest. "Enjoy your bath, kid," he said, patting the top of her head.

"Aw, you goin', Fi? You stay with me! We a-sing s'more."

"No, I've got some work to do. Why don't you try playing our game with your daddy?"

"Oh yeah! I a-play with my daddy!" She agreed. "Daddy, you a-walkin', and I a-singin', and you go fast a-slow, and I a-singin'. Daddy, walkin' now!"

"Okay, okay, I'm going,"he answered, and turned to take her to her waiting bath. "Thanks again, 5, I owe you one."

"Bye-bye, Fi!" Dixie called over his shoulder. "We a-play 'gain!"

"We sure will," he called back. He waved to her until they had turned a corner and vanished before he headed back to the workroom himself.

_I can't wait to have kids. I think I'd make a good dad. And Dixie sure makes for good practice._

2222222222

It had been one of those days that taking Dixie outside had seemed like a lovely idea. However, it had rained in the night and the courtyard was now peppered with mud puddles that refused to dry up in the humidity. All that 7 had planned to do was look over her flourishing garden, pull a few weeds, and get back inside because it was so darned hot. She had also thought it would be nice for Dixie to get outside and run around.

All of that had turned out to be a mistake. Dixie had immediately scouted out the stickiest possible mud puddle and hopped right in, splashing mud everywhere-including all over her mother. If 7 hadn't stopped her right away, they would have both been much dirtier than they were. Dixie was now covered in mud up to her waist. The puddle had only come up to 7's ankles, but it was also splattered on her arms and face, and her chest and hip were smeared with it from carrying her baby inside.

That was bad enough. As it dried, it kept flaking off in chunks, and now it was all over their bedroom. Dixie had been absolutely thrilled over the phenomenon. 7 had been very peeved. Aside from needing baths themselves, she would have to wash the bedspread and scrub the floor. And the walls. And the side of the crib. And anything else Dixie managed to get close to until she was bathed.

She had bumped into 9 when they came inside, but he hadn't been very helpful because he had been in the middle of something. Seeing them such a mess made him laugh a little, but she failed to see how it was funny.

"Boy, are you filthy, precious girl," he had said, patting their daughter on the head. "You're going to need a bath, aren't you?"

Dixie had pushed him away, insulted that he would call her filthy, or dare to hint at a dreaded bath. 7 had also pushed him away and stormed off in a huff, unimpressed.

She thought she had left Dixie asleep on the bed, with the door shut tight while she went to draw bath water. When she returned, the door was wide open and all that remained of Dixie was the spot of mud on the quilt where she was supposed to have been. 7 had no idea how she had been able to get out-she couldn't reach the doorknob, let alone turn it. Flabbergasted yet again with her child, she had set off to enlist her husband in a search and rescue effort.

 _Whoever opened that door is so in for it..._ She kept thinking to herself.

When Dixie finally turned up again, the mud on her legs was completely dry and a lot of it had already flaked off. She was optimistic that maybe it meant she didn't need a bath anymore, but niether of her parents were convinced. 7 wouldn't have cared in any case. She intended to bath her baby as vengefully as was possible. Maybe it was wiser to let 9 take care of that, if he was enjoying himself so much. She couldn't stand how cheerful and patient he was being. Seeing how upset she was, he suggested that she bathe first.

"You'll feel more like your wonderful self when you're clean."

"Hm."

" _And_ I'll clean up our room for you. I promise, there won't be a speck of dirt left when I'm done."

Oh, just when she was most enjoying being mad at him, he always managed to say the one thoughtful thing that could still her temper. He was extremely reliable like that. She had hoped right into the wash tub and began to scrub her skin clean with the broken off end of a toothbrush. The mud was too fresh to have stained her pale skin, and it came right out. Given all the things that had gone wrong today, it certainly did lift her spirits.

Looking over at her 9 and her Dixie, playing pat-a-cake to pass the time until her turn, she finally found them amusing.

"You may need a bath, yourself," she commented. "I guess we're all due for one, anyway."

"Is the water okay for her, or do I need to get some more?" He asked, determined to be helpful now. "It won't be so good to scrub all this mud out with more mud."

"I like a-mud," Dixie insisted. "Mud, mud, muddy-mud-mud," she sang happily.

"We like the mud when its outside, but not when it's on you," her daddy said gently. "I almost can't see how precious you are under all this gunk. We've got to get it off you."

Dixie pouted, unable to refuse that. When her turn finally came and 9 dunked her feet into the murky water, she immediately began to kick and splash as hard as she could. In seconds, his arms were soaked to his elbows.

"I might not need that bath, after all," he commented, submerging her as quickly as he could. That was also a mistake, because now she could splash with her arms as well as her legs. The water splashed up over the side of the tub and all over his knees.

"Dixie, stop that. No, stop! _Stop_! Dixie, you stop splashing right now!"

Apparently, it was just another game to her. She went on splashing, and it seemed like she was making an effort to get as much water on her father as she could. She also wouldn't stop cackling triumphantly.

"Look, daddy, you all yet like me a-mommy!"

"Yeah, I can see that," he agreed dryly, shaking his drenched arms.

Satisfied that she had finally peeved both her parents, and managed to do everything she had been specifically told not to do in one day, she calmed her splashing. Instead, she patted her hands against the top of the water, making tiny explosions that didn't go much further than her own face.

"I don't understand," he commented, shaking his head. "You love taking baths. You cry when we take you out."

"Oh no, daddy, I no crying'. I like a bath. I a-splashin'!"

He pulled her up to sit her on the edge of the tub, so he could scrub her legs, and she became distressed.

"My bath over? No! I a-splashin' more!"

"I'm just going to get this mud off you."

"So I be just precious?"

"That's right, baby."

"Oh, I be precious. Okay."

Ever since she had been able to speak clearly, she had taken her title of "precious girl" very seriously. She constantly defended it with everything she had. And well she should-before he had even addressed her by name, precious was the first thing 9 had ever called her, and he reaffirmed that every single day without fail. 7 had a feeling there would be a lot of fist fights over it in the future. Woe to whoever dared to challenge that staus...

A while later-after a good cry about her bath being over-the three of them went walking through the library, all soaking yet and looking for a nice sunny spot to dry off. Dixie walked in the middle, her parents on either side of her holding her hands. Every now and again, they lifted her up to swing her over something in their way. She laughed and laughed whenever they did, overjoyed by the feeling of being suspended weightless in the air, supported by the two people in the world she could trust the most.

"I a-go flyin'," she cheered. "I a bird!"

"Now I _know_ she gets that from me," 7 commented. "There's nothing quite like the feeling of flight. I wonder if she'll use it like I do?"

"I have a feeling she's meant for other things, but lots of them. Whatever she chooses to do with herself, I think she'll excel at it."

"Maybe something with music? She does have a natural talent for it. I know that music doesn't seem like much to some people, but it does have its place. There were many days where it was the only thing that have me the hope or joy to keep going."

"That seems to be a large part of who she is. Maybe when she's bigger, we should talk to Pi's sisters about music lessons. It's what Gamma does, after all; and Theta has a beautiful voice, herself."

"It must be wonderful to create music like they do."

"Between Gamma being a Creator and Theta being a Scholar, I think they could recreate the knowledge of music that the humans had developed. It took them all their history, and they hadn't run out of things to create or discover about it. But they always knew how to enjoy it. If it hadn't been important, I don't think they would have cared so much. I don't think it would have been important to us, either."

That was a lot for one Warrior to ponder at once. 7 spent the remainder of their walk in silence, thinking it all over. It suddenly seemed like the world had lost the need for her natural temper and wily battle skills. The world was safe now. What it really needed was healing and reconstruction, at the hands of the other, more cerebral classes of the clans. It needed Scholars to find its hidden knowledge; Creators to rebuild; Nurturers to raise the next generations; Prophets to give comfort and hope; and Elders and Bearers to lead them into the future. But it seemed like the talent she had to offer was useless now.

_I wish I had been a Creator..._

They finally stopped in a bright patch of sunlight streaming through a hole in the roof. The sun was directly overhead now, the brightest and hottest part of the day. It was a good place to dry off. They released Dixie to run around in the light, and then sat down together to watch her.

"Sometimes I wish I was anything but a Warrior," she commented, fiddling idly with her wedding ring. "It seems to pointless now. I wish I could create things like the rest of you do."

"We all have the power to create things, in our own ways," 9 insisted gently. "Just because its not your personal talent doesn't mean you're not allowed to try something new, if you really want to."

"I've never created anything in my life."

"Of course you have. You created her," he pointed out, gazing across the space to where Dixie was running around like a bolt of fire. "I created what you can see, and that's also impressive. But what I have to give her is transient. It's about to change, and it will go on changing for the rest of her young life. But you created what really matters. You built her soul. And that's going to last for the rest of her life."

Overwhelmingly uplifted, she grinned. "We created that together. I suppose that's what really matters."

"That's the spirit," he agreed, laying a hand on her shoulder. "You're her mother. You made her, and you'll keep on making her until she's grown. No man has the power to create something as powerful as that."

"Most of our creators were men."

"Our life is borrowed from them. They put their own souls into us, but they didn't make those souls with their own hands. Our children have souls of their very own, completely different from any other soul that has ever existed. I think my favorite part of that is that only a woman can do that. A woman like you."

She put her hand on his and gave it a squeeze. "Thank you. You know that I love you, right?"

"You say so every day. And I love you right back."

She leaned forward and have him a quick, thankful kiss. But she had bare,y pulled away before Dixie threw herself into her mother's lap in a fit of giggles.

"Mommy, you kissin' me now," she said, looking up at her the sparkling, expectant eyes.

"Of course," she agreed, hugging her and kissing the top of her head. Dixie snuggled against her and sighed happily.

"Mommy daddy la-me, an' I la-mommy daddy," she said quietly, sounding a little sleepy.

"I think it might officially be nap time," 7 decided. "If you had just stayed put and slept while I made your bath instead of wandering off, you wouldn't be so tired now."

Dixie answered with an unapologetic yawn and rubbed her eyes. "Mommy, I nurse, pease?"

" _Please_ ," 7 enunciated, putting emphasis on the L. "Can you say _please_?"

Dixie pursed her lips, mustering all her concentration. "Pa... Pa... Pa-leeeeese. Please!"

"Very good, baby! Of course you can nurse, when we get back to our room."

"Yay! I a-say please," she cheered, hugging her mother again. "My mommy."

As they walked back to their room, 9 began making a mental list of everything he would need to clean the place. He already knew he'd have to take the quilt and wash it before they put Dixie down for her nap, and of course planned to do that first of all. The baby was already falling asleep in her mother's shoulder, humming her own self to sleep. Nap time would be easy, today.

But all that was shattered in an instant, as the alarm bell sounded above them. Dixie bolted upright, wide awake and startled to be so.

"Oh, who could it be now?" 9 wondered impatiently. He would have to go and see about it, putting his promise to clean the room on hold.

"You go ahead and deal with it," 7 insisted. "I still have to nurse her, before I put her down. There's plenty of time."

"Thanks. I'll be back soon," he agreed, heading off in the opposite direction.

"No, _my_ daddy!" Dixie called after him. "You stay with me!"

"Don't worry, my baby, I'll come right back. Daddy's just got to take care of this one thing, alright?"

"But _my_ daddy," she whined, perhaps knowing she wouldn't win this argument.

"I'll come right back, I promise," he said again, kissing her goodbye, and then turning and walking off without another word. That discussion was closed.

"Don't worry, your daddy always makes good on his word," 7 told her as she went on whimpering sadly. "He'll be back."

2222222222

9 was the first to reach the entrance, where he found another member of the Third clan waiting just inside. This time it was Av, their own Ceator, and Sivan's beloved sister. She had warned them that her best friend might come to see her, and even fight to stay by her side until she could go home. Therefore, 9 wasn't entirely surprised or begrudged to see her.

"I had a feeling you'd be along," he greeted with a smile.

"I came as soon as I could," Av insisted. "I grabbed a few things for the trip and came right here."

"It's pretty hot out these days," he pointed out, putting his arm around her and leading her inside. "How was the walk."

"Not so bad. Adar told me the way here, and I went exactly the way he told me to. Anyway, I set out this morning, when it was cooler. I guess I overestimated the weather a little bit. It was suddenly sweltering out there!"

"Let's get you to the infirmary to see your sister, then. It's nice and cool in there. And I'll set you up a bed for your stay."

"You'd let me?"

"I'd have done the same for my brothers and sister. We're happy to have you."

Av sighed gratefully. "Thank goodness. I spent half the trip coming up with arguments. You're sure I don't need to use any of them?"

"Absolutely not. For now, lets just get you out of the sun, huh?"

_Two is company, and three is a crowd, but 13 is a party. It's a good thing we have a big home._


	5. New Beginnings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pi... Is happy today. :)

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_New Beginnings_

2222222222

Pi was frustrated. Just when things were going along so smoothly with her new body, 5 had up and left for a few days. He had told her not to worry-the last couple of things he needed required a short trip into the ruins, but he would be back soon. He wouldn't tell her exactly where he was going or what he was looking for, insisting that it was all part of the surprise. She trusted him, though, and wished him luck on his hunt. Still, she missed having her sweetheart beside her; and his absence gave her too many opportunities to sneak into his things to poke around.

At least three times since he had left, her curiosity had almost gotten the better of her. All his plans, blueprints, and what was complete of her body were hidden in a box in the workroom, without a lock or a constant guardian. The temptation to sneak a peak was overwhelming.

But every time she came close to giving in-once, she had her hands on the very lid, ready to open the box-she remembered the cautionary tale of Pandora, whose curiosity had unleashed every terrible thing onto the world. Including the grief of miscarriage. So each time she came close to giving in, she forced herself to step away from the box and walk straight back where she had come from. 5 had trusted her to leave his things alone. The surprise meant so much to him. She wouldn't betray that trust, after everything he had done for her.

On the evening of the third day, Pi sat alone in her room daydreaming. Without warning, the alarm bell sounded overhead. Sitting up listen, she counted the tolls-only three, in all. The accepted signal that one of their own had come home. She jumped up and ran for the entrance, fully intent on giving her husband an enormous welcome home hug. She hoped she would even beat everyone else to the chase; they would all want to do exactly the same.

She was vaguely aware of someone else as she tore past them, but she couldn't be bothered by who it was. She only had eyes for the entrance, and her 5 as he marched up to courtyard toward it. When he saw her burst out into the light, running to him with all her energy, his march quickened to a run until they had flown into each others arms. Pi thought he would topple backwards from the force; instead, he picked her up and spun her around, both of them laughing all the way.

"You act like I had been missing for weeks," he commented, setting her back on her feet and hugging her.

"Weeks, days,, what does it matter?" She answered, snuggling into him. "I've missed you. Did you find what you were looking for?"

"And then some," he smiled. He hoisted his pack back into place-looking quite full of surprises-and took her hand, leading her back inside. As they entered, they found 9 waiting patiently just inside. Pi had a feeling it might have been him she had passed.

"I thought that might be you," he said. "How was the trip?"

"Nice, now that the weather is cooling off. It was a successful journey."

"Where exactly did you go?"

"Um, I can't really talk about it with my lovely wife right here."

Pi gave him a playful shove. "Yes, you can! I want to know everything!"

"Surprises, darling. Be patient."

She rolled her eyes, but didn't press him. They went first to the workroom, where 5 left his pack pinning his box of things shut. As he did, Pi gave the box a triumphant leer. It had tried, but failed to conquer her. She had won that battle decicively.

"Tell everyone I'll be around in a bit. I think they'll understand if I want to be alone with Pi for a while."

"They'll understand completely," 9 agreed, finally finding a moment to give his brother a hug. "It's good to have you home."

Pi was glad she would have him to herself for a while, before the rest of the family started drilling him for details of his trip. When they were alone in their room, at last, he turned to her and unbuttoned his chest.

"I brought you back something you can have right now," he said, reaching into his body cavity. "To make the waiting a little easier. I know its been hard for you to wait."

"But you're having so much fun," she pointed out. "I'll leave you with that."

Out of his chest, he produced a pendant hanging from a chain of gold. The pendant gleamed like pink glass in the light, wrapped elegantly in fine gold wire.

"I made this for you," he said, gently lowering it over her head. Her heart touched, she held the pendant in her hands to take a closer look at it. It wasn't just glass.

"...5, is this rose quartz?"

"I heard its your favorite," he said with a grin.

"You've been with my parents!" She guessed, thrilled to have figured him out. "That's where you've been all this time, isn't it."

"And they had everything I was looking for," he answered, pulling her close. "I had a feeling they might know where to find the yarn for your hair."

"Is that all you brought back?"

"There are one or two other important things, but that was the big one." He ran his fingers thoughtfully through her hair and smiled. "It's going to be so long, when its done."

"Really?"

"I remember you saying you wish your hair was longer."

"How much longer?"

"Longer. I'm not telling you anything else."

"Oh, come on! Just tell me!"

"Your body will be everything you wanted and more," he promised, kissing her forehead. "Just trust me."

She sighed, defeated. "Of course I trust you."

That was always one of his favorite things to hear. He gently lifted her face against his for a kiss that was long overdue. She hadn't kissed him good morning, goodnight, or for any other reason for three days. She had to make up for lost time.

"Only a few weeks left, now," he said softly. "It's almost done."

She gave him a brilliant smile. "I'm happy to wait."

2222222222

It was well into October, and one afternoon, Pi was babysitting Dixie in the common room, while her mother took a turn on watch.

"Just think of all the stuff you'll be able to do when you're a big girl," Pi commented to the baby.

"Yes, I am be a big girl, and I am runnin' all 'rounda place. Daddy say so."

"What else do you think you'll do?"

"Big sissy say I am readin' writtin'," Dixie answered with a puzzled face, "but I dunno what's that."

"It means your bother and sister are going to teach you how to work with letters," Pi explained. "You know your ABC's, right?"

Dixie perked right up and began to sing, "A, B, C, D, E, F, G!"

"Well, we use the alphabet to make words, so we can communicate with each other, but without our voices. And your brother and sister are going to help you learn how to do that."

Dixie shook her head. "No, no," she said decidedly, "ABC's my song, no readin' writtin', nope."

"Once you start, you probably won't be able to get enough," Pi commented with a laugh. "If you're anything like your father, you'll pick it up faster than they can teach you."

"Oh, daddy readin' writtin'? _Him_ teach me. My daddy readin' me."

"I'll bet he does. That daddy of yours sure loves to read."

"Daddy la-la-la me more. Ooh, I am big girl, I'm sayin' that word!"

The fact that she still couldn't pronounce her v's properly was an obvious peeve of hers. Her parents talked easily about love in front of her all the time-they were always reminding her how much they loved her, and they said the same to each other, too. She knew what it was, and how much it meant to everyone. But she just couldn't say the word love because of the roadblock letter V.

Pi watched with a content smile as Dixie wandered around the open space, making up another little song as she toddled about. She loved playing with the child so much. She knew in her heart that she would make a good mother. Her thinking was suddenly interrupted by a throat being cleared nearby; she looked up to see 5 standing in the doorway, looking very pleased with himself.

"Hi, honey," she greeted. "What's up?"

"I was just wondering... When do you think you can be ready for the transfer?"

Pi jumped to her feet. "It's done?"

"Just now. All it needs is you. Setting it up doesn't take long, either-we can do it tonight, if you want."

With a delighted squeal, she ran to hug him. "Oh, I've waited so long for this moment! And now that its here, I don't know what to say!"

"Just say the word. Whenever you're ready."

"Yes, tonight. As soon as we can. I don't want to wait another second."

"Tonight, then," he agreed with a chuckle. "I'll let my brother know, and we'll come get you when we're ready."

"Can't I help?"

"I'm afraid not. This is something we have to do ourselves. This rite is all about you, and you shouldn't have to lift a finger for it. Let me do this for you. It's only a few more hours, and you won't have to wait anymore. I promise."

Pi sighed heavily. "Alright, then. I guess I can wait a few more hours.

"You'll be glad you did. There are more than a few surprises waiting for you. Everything is going to be perfect."

"You sound like my mother, fussing over my wedding day."

"This is another big moment, just like that day. And my perfect wife shouldn't have anything less than the best."

"Oh, stop it."

Beneath them, Dixie had toddled over and grabbed their legs as best she could with her short arms. "Now I get some huggin's!" She insisted, snuggling her face into their knees. 5 knelt to scoop her up, and they hugged her together.

"Guess what, baby?" Pi whispered in her ear. "I'm going to get a big girl body, just like you!"

"What? You a big girl now," she said dubiously.

"Well, I'm getting a big, _big_ girl body today. I'll be all grown up, and I won't need another body ever again. Isn't that exciting?"

"Ooh. I can see?"

"When I get back, yes. I might be a little different, but I'll be the same me."

"I be the same me?"

"I'm sure you will," she agreed, kissing her niece on the cheek. "You'll be the same wonderful little girl you are now, only a little bigger. Growing up isn't so hard, see?"

Shortly after that, 5 vanished again, and Pi resumed her patient waiting. Only a few more hours, now. The tension and excitement were eating her alive, but she took several deep breaths to calm herself. She had waited since July for this; these last few hours would be easy.

Dixie soon tired herself out, and she climbed onto the sofa to curl up for a nap. 7 returned in the middle of the second hour to collect her baby; someone must have gone to the watchtower to tell her the news, because she greeted her sister with a congratulatory hug.

"I can't believe its tonight," she said with a grin. "It's finally happening! I'm so happy for you."

"I'm also excited. Can you believe it? I'll walk out of the library as a girl, and when I walk back in, I'll actually be a woman. I spent so long thinking it was one and the same, and that it didn't matter..."

"You used to take it so seriously," 7 agreed, her smile becoming rueful. "But... I don't think any of us really could. Don't take this the wrong way, Pi, but you are definitely not a grown woman."

"No, it's true. I really am just a kid. I know-I think and talk and act like one, and I always have. I know who I am."

"So, are you ready to finally be a woman? Aren't you going to miss being a kid?"

"Not really. I've grown tired of this. Anyway, I'm married to a man, and he wants to start his family with me. He deserves a wife with a woman's head on her shoulders, keeping his house and raising his children. That's a lot to ask from a someone who's still a child, herself. I want to be that woman, as well."

"Well, for still being a child, you have a very mature mindset. I'm proud of you."

Pi beamed at her, impossibly thrilled. "Thanks. Um, I guess you're not supposed to come with me, huh?"

"It's only a two-person job," 7 agreed, sitting down on the sofa. "I think 9 said it has something to do with the talisman-something about representing its functions. I'm not really sure what it means, and I'm not sure if I care to know. But if you ask him, he'll explain it. Believe me, I had asked if I could be there. I wish he'd let me go with you."

"It would have meant a lot to me. You've become my best friend. I don't think I've ever had a best friend before."

Looking genuinely touched, 7 beckoned for Pi to come sit with her. She sat down with a sigh, an odd thought occurring to her. She had chosen weeks before to let 7 into the dark secret of where her baby had come from; who else could she trust more? In the confidence of her closest friend and fellow wife, maybe she could ask a few personal, private questions and get a kind but honest answer.

"How long did it take you to have Dixie?"

"Hm... A few months, I suppose. We were married late in June, and she was conceived late in October-a week from tomorrow last year, if I'm remembering right. But then, we weren't trying; we didn't know we could have children yet. So there we were, carrying on like a married couple, thinking nothing would ever get in the way of that, and then all of a sudden... There she was.

"My goodness... We carried on for a long time like that, and nothing happened. Frankly, I hope it goes back to being that way. But you... You got lucky on your first try."

"Yeah... Is it weird?"

"That it happened so easily?"

"No, that we've only made love once before, and we weren't even married yet. After we were married, we had a baby and didn't want to put it in danger. And then... It happened to easily the first time. I can't risk it happening again like that, only to lose another child that I can't carry. So we've waited. But is that weird?"

7 was silent as she processed this. "I think your waiting has been wise, then."

"If only I could have waited before, shown a little self control and thought with my head first," Pi lamented. "Maybe we wouldn't be in this mess now... Oh, but we would have suffered this anyway, sooner or later. Perhaps it was best to just have it out of the way, so we could move on."

"You shouldn't beat yourself like this," 7 insisted, putting her arm around her. "What happened was terrible and-yes-unavoidable. And maybe you could have made better choices before, but they've already been made. In any case, I think you've done well."

"You think so?"

"I've watched it with my own eyes. You have a strong soul, and I've seen it become stronger these past few months. As long as you've got 5 to lean on, and he has you, I don't think there's anything the two of you can't do."

Pi gave her a thankful smile. "You and 9 are the same."

"Love isn't picky, Pi. It makes us want what's best for the people around us. And I don't think that feeling is limited to the people we feel the strongest for. We can _feel_ anything we want, whenever we want, for whoever we want; but even in the depths of anger, or sorrow, or confusion, or any other pain life can bring, love won't change. That's probably the only reason I haven't killed my husband yet. There have been plenty of moments I've been angry enough to do it."

Pi couldn't help a giggle. "Really?"

"Oh, I could have torn his head off and not blinked... But I would have missed him too much."

"Has he ever been mad at you, for a change?"

7 was silent, thinking back as hard as she could. "...You know, I'm not sure if he's even capable of that. I think he's tried before, and he's had plenty of cause to be in the past-I am admittedly a difficult person. But if he ever has been mad at me for anything I've done, he didn't show it very well. What about you? Have you ever been mad at 5 for anything?"

"...I remember a moment, right after I lost the baby, I suddenly decided that he must have had something to do with it. Like, how could he have not known? Why didn't he tell me? Did he _want_ this to happen to me? Deep inside, I knew it couldn't be true, but... Having someone to blame made me feel sort of better; but mostly, it just made me feel worse. I can't believe that I would ever think something like that about him. I haven't exactly told him about it, either. Do you think I should?"

"Hm... I think that's something you need to figure out for yourself. Though if it were me, I would come clean. It's no good to carry something like that around all by yourself. I would also choose to tell him on a different day. He's worked too hard to make this special for you. Don't ruin it for him."

"I wouldn't do that. Knowing something like that would crush him. I just don't know how to tell him."

"Speak from your heart, then. What he needs to know more than anything is that you're sorry for it, and that you want his forgiveness. That's another great thing I've learned about love: love is compassion, and where there's compassion, there's forgiveness. The sooner people learn this, the better off I think we'll all be."

"Thanks for that. It does make everything clearer."

"Thinking that hard about things can be a strain for me, sometimes. But in the end, yes, it does make everything clearer. After tonight, maybe you'll be able to see these things for yourself; but I'm always happy to talk with you. I'm happy I've influenced you so much."

That was met with a contemplative, companionable silence. There want much more that needed to be said, after that. After a moment, 7 stood up and scooped her sleeping baby off the sofa.

"Part of me is glad that she's already asleep," she commented. "We're trying desperately to wean her, before her upgrade, but it hasn't been easy. She was so excited about being a big girl; but when we told her she couldn't nurse after that, she suddenly became very anxious. I guess we can't blame her. It's a pretty big change, for a little girl."

"Do you think she'll mind, when its over?"

"I don't know. I'm just worried that when she has more words to use, she'll fight it harder. I don't want to jinx it, but we may have a negotiator and a smart ass on our hands. I suppose its what happens, when you put 9's best qualities and mine together in one body. I don't think we had realized what a lethal combination it could make."

"She's a force of nature, just like you."

"And that's what concerns us. We may never have a moment's peace, until she's an adult."

"Well, she's been good practice. Though I can't imagine my kids could be so much to handle. But then... I guess we'll see."

"Don't underestimate yourself," 7 cautioned with a smirk. "You and 5 can also be forces of nature, when you want to be. You're not exactly predictable people, either. You may be pleasantly surprised."

"I don't know... I've always thought of you guys as lions-peaceful and noble at rest, ferocious and terrifying when provoked. I just can't see myself that way."

"You are far from a lightweight, Pi. I'm sure that my brother sees a lion in you, just as much as he sees one in you."

"Thanks."

"Hey, you get some rest. You need to be in good shape for tonight. Sunset will be here before you know it."

Pi decided to take her sister's advice. Once they had left, she flopped back on the sofa and closed her eyes for what she intended to be a short nap. Her sleep was dark and dreamless, but restful. She was woken by someone shaking her gently, to the sound of other gathered voices.

"Pi, wake up. I never meant for you to fall into a coma."

She opened her eyes and saw 7 hovering over her with an amused smile on her face.

"How long did I sleep?" She asked, slowly sitting up.

"Since I left, it looks like. That was about three hours ago."

"Aw, geez," she muttered, rubbing her neck sheepishly. "I guess sleeping has always been something I've been good at. Has 5 come back yet?"

"No, not yet. But everyone else is here now. They didn't want to wake you; you seemed so peaceful."

She looked around to see everyone had gathered in the common room for the evening-except that 9 and 5 were distinctly missing. She wondered where they were, exactly, and what they were up to... While she wondered, 3 darted up to her, beaming.

_"So, we hear its tonight! Congratulations! You must be pretty excited."_

"Impossibly," she agreed. "It's been hours. Surely, they must be back soon."

_"You've got to feel ready for anything, after that nap. Man, you could fall down and sleep just about anywhere, huh?"_

"Yeah, probably."

3 continued filling the last bit of her waiting with discussion of the virtues of sleep and dreams. He rarely slept without vivid, colorful dreams, though his sister tended to sleep dreamlessly; knowing that, he never took his ability to sleep sweetly for granted. It was easy, lighthearted conversation, and she was grateful to have it taking the edge off her growing excitement and impatience. In fact, she became to wrapped up in their conversation, she was a little startled by a gentle knocking on the doorway.

Everyone looked up. 9 was standing in the doorway, holding his hand out to Pi.

"It's time."

She got to her feet and straightened herself confidently.

"Well, everyone, this is it. I'll see you all soon."

They all wished her goodbyes and good luck as she went to join her brother. He out his arm around her shoulder and led her out into the library, lighting their way with his light stick.

"Are you nervous?" He asked.

"Far from it. ...Should I be?"

"Not at all. If I wait much longer, I may jump out of my skin!"

"Hold that thought until we get outside," he advised with a laugh. "I don't have the talisman to catch you."

She was glad to say that the talisman didn't even scare her at all. Knowing that it was just a tool, and being used for her immense benefit, she couldn't believe how it had once frightened her. Or how it had been used to harm so many people in the past. Today, she was very grateful for its existence.

"9, remind me to ask you how that thing works, sometime. I find myself suddenly very curious."

"Of course."

"7 said its only supposed to be the three of us. Why is that?"

"Every talisman has three main functions: construction, deconstruction, and reconstruction. The three of us represent each one, in this rite. I'll tell you more when we get outside, okay?"

Outside, the autumn sun had already set, and a half-moon had risen in its place. Scorpio had also risen, hanging upside down this early in the night. It wasn't the sign she had been born under-oddly enough, it was Mu who had been animated under the devious scorpion, and it wasn't surprising. Pi had been born under feminine Virgo, which was also not surprising.

 _Some people don't put stock in the movement of the stars,_ she thought to herself. _But I don't see how they can't matter. They tell me a lot about myself, and many other people I know._

A fire was burning in the middle of the courtyard; if she looked closely in the dark, she could see her husband's outline on the other side of it, waiting sturdy and stalwart as always.

"Where's my body?" She asked when they drew near, and her object of interest was nowhere to be seen.

"Facing the east, on the other side of the fire. You'll be facing west."

"Oh. I like that."

"Yeah, so do I," 9 agreed. "There are always two officiators-one to deconstruct, and one to reconstruct. And you are what we're constructing. Does that make sense?"

"It does. They really thought this through, huh?"

"Hm. Sometimes..."

There was still so much that no one understood. How much of their science had been trial and error, and a series of happy mistakes?

5 came around the fire to join them, and took his wife's hands in his own. "Are you ready?"

"More than I'll ever be."

He helped her down to the ground and let her lie carefully on her back. Kneeling beside her, he brushed her hair out of her face.

"And here we are, my dear. You know you don't have to be afraid of anything."

"So, you'll be the one to deconstruct me?"

"I know it sound a little weird."

"No, I trust you. You've already deconstructed me once before. You'll do great. I'm proud of you" Fi."

He grinned and kissed her face before standing again, reaching into his body and pulling out the talisman.

"Just a second," he mumbled, concentrating on the sequence that would take her soul by the hand and lead her out.

She took a moment to appreciate him, standing solid above her. Then she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, feeling the last moment of waiting slip right by her. She could hear the buttons being pressed, and the talisman ringing louder and louder with energy. She felt a strange, familiar force crash into her, and sort of lift her up effortlessly, as if she were a leaf on the wind.

And then, she was floating weightlessly in the dark, as if her eyes were still closed. It wasn't a cold, numb darkness. It was a wide open space, and she was free to drift about anywhere she wanted.

_I'm dead. I'm inside the talisman. I never dreamed it could be so nice here._

It lasted for less than a minute. It felt like something was pouring her like water right back out of the talisman, as quickly and easily as it had sucked her in. She opened her eyes again, taking a gasp of air into lungs that were alarmingly empty. She took several deep breaths, trying to fill them; but they were unused to breathing, and she suddenly began to cough, choking on her own desperate gasps for air.

"Easy, easy," said a gentle voice above her, followed by an arm around her, helping her sit up. "Give it a moment. These lungs have never had to breathe before."

It was 9, who had reconstructed her. She tried to get her cough under control, slowing her deep breaths until everything had righted itself. She placed her hand over her heart, which felt stiff from being kick started so suddenly.

"It's over?"

"It sure is. Take a look."

She slowly looked down at herself, noticing her hand and forearm first. Her slender fingers gleamed brassy in the firelight as she slowly flexed them. The movement was so fluid and smooth, without age or wear to slow their movements. The pink of her arms was darker than she remembered them being before, but...

There were no scars. It was all one continuous piece of rosy fabric, disrupted only by an even, perfectly stitched seam that ran from her wrist to her shoulder. Overcome with wonder, a grin made its way across her face and she began to laugh.

"It's perfect..."

His arm still around her, 9 took her by her perfect new hand and carefully hauled her to her feet.

"How do you feel?"

"Excellent!" She cried. "I could dance, I'm so happy! I-oh, what's this...?"

Her attempt to jump into the air was suddenly halted by something wrapped around her body and legs. Peering down, she found herself dressed in a flowing white toga. It drapped gracefully across her lower back to wrap around her front and over her arms, concealing the two buttons adorning her chest. The hem of her toga had even stitched with a blocky Grecian border in pink and shimmering gold thread.

It clearly wasn't the handiwork of the Fifth clan. Where had it come from?

"A gift from your mother," 5 explained from the other side of the fire. Hearing his voice with fresh ears, seeing his goofy face with a brand new pair of eyes, her heart lept with joy. It was a little painful, not yet used to being filled with so much emotion, but it didn't matter. She dashed around the fire and threw her arms around him, unable to stop laughing.

"I love it!" She squealed. "I love, it love it-I love you!" She grabbed his face and pressed her lips so hard against his she couldn't breath anymore. And it was easier than ever. She was nearly as tall as he was now; she could almost look directly into his eye.

"Boy, if that isn't a thank you," he laughed when she finally released him. "And don't forget this."

He held up her quartz pendant, which she had removed perhaps once since she had received it. Despite her beautiful toga, she almost felt naked without it. She reached over her shoulder to lift her hair out of its way, to find that it didn't end where it used to; it was easily twice the length she remembered.

"Does it ever end?" She giggled, as he lowered her necklace back over her neck.

"I told you it would be longer. Is it what you wanted?"

"Oh, Fi, its perfect," she sighed, hugging him again. "Everything is absolutely perfect. Its everything i had hoped for and more. Thank you."

"I promised you it would be."

"And I never doubted you for a second."

She looked past him and down at her former shell, empty and entirely useless.

"What do we do with that?"

"The last part of the rite. We lay it to rest."

At the base of one of the statues, the boys had dug a deep hole; the pile of dirt they had unearth sat on top of a wide sheet of metal, salvaged from the side of a car. Being the Bearer, 9 picked up the empty shell and dropped it as ceremoniously as he could into the hole.

"It will wear away with time," he commented. "Nothing is ever made to last forever."

Standing between her husband and brother, Pi helped them lift the metal sheet upright until the pile of dirt fell back into the hole and filled it. Pushing it over on top of the loamy soil, the boys stomped on it a few times to settle it. Finally, the work was completed.

"We'll let the fire die down over night," 9 explained as they walked back inside. "When there's no sun, fire can be just as good."

"So," Pi commented flirtatiously to her husband, "want to try this whole baby thing again?"

"What? You haven't been in this body for fifteen minutes yet, and you want to get started right now?"

"I'm tired of waiting for things! I'm more than ready. I can't tell you how ready I am to start our family. It's what we both wanted."

"Alright, alright," he agreed, squeezing her hand. "A quick hello to the others, give them a chance to bask in your perfection for a few minutes, and then I'm all yours for the rest of the night."

9 couldn't help but chuckle at them. "Big plans, huh?"

Pi smiled back.

"Yeah... Big plans."


	6. The Triumphant Return

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a lot of foreshadowing in this chapter. 
> 
> Also, let it be known that I have fleshed out the Third clan more than the others, as they are largely more important over all.

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_The Triumphant Return_

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It was good to have Sivan back on her feet. All the other bodies there were to be made had been put a bit to the side, because they wanted her ready to return to her family by the next gathering in September. It didn't leave them a whole lot of time; but with three doctors working on it together, it had been finished with a little time to spare. She had been in a body that worked for the past week now, and it fit her perfectly. She and her sister were now about the same age, just shy of their teens.

They had asked Av several times if she was interested in an upgrade, and she thankfully said no. She was still quite happy with the body she had, paint-stained as it was. She had commented that she would probably be fine for a few years to come.

She had also commented that when she had left their summer camp, most of the Third clan had been optimistic and grateful for the solution to Sivan's many problems. Nisan had apparently had a vision about it, saying that Yahweh had given His blessing. But others hadn't been so impressed.

"Teslev isn't happy about it," she had elaborated. "He thinks it goes against our law somehow. I know we have a lot of them, but some of them just seem silly. But he does know them better than the rest of us. Still... He was going on and on about how she was unclean, and that all this is just a bunch of witchcraft, and that it might even be better to just let her die. Can you believe that?"

Everyone agreed that this was unusually harsh. 1 remembered vaguely that Teslev was a stickler for his clan's many rules. It had been a very long time ago that it had been a real problem, but it sounded like he hadn't changed much in all that time. 1 also remembered someone saying that when 9 had turned up on the Third clan's doorstep for the first time, lost, confused, and exhausted, Teslev had insisted on turning him away. Something about him being a gentile, or some other Hebrew nonsense. The man had never cared much for people outside his clan, and didn't like the rest of his family carrying on with others. There was also an understanding that he particularly didn't like the First or Second clans, though it was hard to see why.

Today, however, was a very different day. The sisters would be returning to their family, as it was the day to journey to the gathering. Sivan practically skipped the whole way, and it made everyone smile. She couldn't wait to show her new body to them, whether they were interested or not. Surely, even Teslev would be glad to see her whole again.

 _What on earth could be the matter with him, to be so upset?_ 1 thought to himself as they walked. _I don't think I even care to know. I'll let my brother ask the uncomfortable questions._

The battered remains of town hall were the same as they had been left in June. The only difference was that it was boiling outside, and the enormous building's shade was more than welcome. Just outside their entrance, a row of recognizable swords had been stuck in the ground: Epsilon's trusty hoplite sword was the biggest of all, rivaled by a rusty nail that belonged to Cheshvan, both dwarfing a sleek tin dagger that belonged to Oregano. 7 stuck her own spear in the ground alongside them, and they all continued on inside.

The Fifth clan was welcomed warmly by those who had already arrived. 1 would never have admitted it out loud, but it was nice to be expected and received. He quickly went off with his own friends-there was a lot to catch up in since the last gathering, and the others were anxious to know how Sivan was doing now. In fact, Tishrei didn't even stay with them long. He was too excited to see his girls again.

"Is it true she was so bad off?" Parsley asked, magnetic bar in hand as always. "He made it sound as if she were dying."

"Oh, that was apparently the truth," 1 agreed. "I personally stayed out of whatever it was they did, but yes. By all accounts, the girl should be dead."

"And so soon after coming back... But she is better now, right?"

"Much so. She has a strong spirit for such a young girl, and for an Innocent."

"They're always more than they appear," Epsilon commented. "Look at my lovely daughter, after all. Now, _there_ is a strong spirit."

"Never what she seems, our Pi. Never what she seems at all... It's impossible to time your watch to that one, as they used to say. Always has us guessing..."

"Why so down, my friend?" Epsilon asked, sounding concerned.

"Oh, no reason."

"Oh, there is a reason. Come along, 1, you can tell us. We're your friends, after all."

"It doesn't do to keep secrets, you know," Parsley added with a playful, knowing wink. "Haven't you kept enough?"

"Perhaps, but I have always been good at keeping them. Leave me the one thing I can still do efficiently," he countered defensively.

"Very well, you curmudgeonly old clam," she answered. "I'll just have to go asking your family, then. I'm sure they will be more helpful."

"I wouldn't count on it. We will explain in our own time, as it is our business."

"All the same. I have no idea how someone as disagreeable as you ended up with such a lovely family, but I enjoyed them last time. That brother of yours is sharp as a tack, I tell you."

"Occasionally."

"Not exactly easy to time your watch to that one either, is it? I think I rather like that. Sometimes, my own children can be a little too predictable."

"Do I hear a hint of disdain in that comment?"

"Perhaps. Oh, I had forgotten how easy it was, with some of them out of the way."

"That's a cruel thing to say," Epsilon pointed out. "You've got all your children back. I should think you would be grateful."

"Not all of them are as agreeable as the children you have lost. Don't pretend it isn't a small relief to not have to deal with Mu anymore. You said yourself once, she frightened you sometimes."

"But she was still my daughter, and I still miss her."

"Hm... Perhaps I should let you take Rosemary sometime, then. It will be as if Mu never died."

That was an odd and disconcerting thing to say. 1 didn't know much about either girl, but he supposed that he now knew plenty. He remembered 2 being frightened of Rosemary, as well. That was a definite problem for him, because they belonged to the same class and he couldn't get away from her. He had spent a portion of their walk warning their younger members to stay as far away from her as possible; but he hadn't said exactly why.

He wondered what Tishrei and Peter would have had to say, if they had been part of this conversation.

Parsley soon made good on her threat, and wandered off to find a different member of the Fifth clan to gossip with. Epsilon remained, because he was still worried.

"You're sure you won't talk about it?"

"Your daughter will tell you everything you wish to know, when she is ready."

His eyes went wide. "What happened? Tell me!"

"Again, she will tell you for herself. It is her problem. Anyway, she expressly asked us not to tell her own story. She is a strong woman and can fight her own battles now."

Epsilon backed down, but his concern did not.

"...Very well, then."

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While her parents had gone off to socialize, Dixie had been left in her granddad's care. 2 never minded looking after her, and in this instance it was a great way to stall for time. Most of the other Creators had already gathered together, but while Rosemary was around, he wasn't entirely interested in joining them. He couldn't explain it, but something about her gave him the creeps. And he could have sworn that she had tried to come onto him at the last gathering. She had passed it off as being no big deal, but it had stuck fast in his mind.

And now he was in charge of the baby, so, oh well. Looked like he wouldn't be going anywhere for a while. Too bad... Though maybe not so much so.

Dixie gladly carried on conversation about anything that occurred to her little mind, and 2 always found it amazingly stimulating. However, he suddenly found himself with adult company after all. Parsley had tracked him down, intent on occupying some of his time.

"Aren't you lonely over here, all by yourself?" She asked.

"Not at all," he answered, though he was happy to see her. She was a witty woman, and he had enjoyed her company very much at the last gathering. She was also very kind, and admittedly very pretty in spite of her unattractive magnet habit.

"You do seem to be enjoying yourself," she commented.

"I don't believe you properly met my grandbaby last time," he pointed out. "This charming little lady is my Dixie. Sweetie, this is miss Parsley. Can you say hello?"

Dixie waved. "Hi," she chirped.

Parsley smiled. "Hello to you, little one," she said, holding out her hand.

"Can you shake her hand?"

"Um, no," she decided, shyly hiding her face in her grandfather's shoulder.

"Oh, that is her favorite word. Everything is no with this one."

"My, but she is a sweet thing. Her mother and father must be very proud."

"Every day. We're making her a big girl body, you know. It should be done in a month or two."

"Oh, a big girl body, is it? Then you can run around with the other children. I believe your clever sons mentioned something about a body for my Peppermint. Do you remember?"

"Yes, I do. I'm afraid we were a bit busy to really discuss it with you, but-"

"No trouble at all. There was a wedding going on, after all. I hadn't mentioned it to the others, though it must be a good idea. She's lived in that body all her life; surely, she's ready for a new one."

"That's what 5 said. We still have a few things going on, but if you speak to him about it, I'm sure he will be willing to help."

"Yes, a few things is what I gathered from your shifty brother."

"Oh? Did he say something?"

"Hardly a word. Would you mind explaining?"

"I'm afraid I can't, Parsely. But you will know, before this gathering is over."

"Now I'm simply burning with curiosity. I can hardly wait."

"Oh yes you can. It isn't pleasant news."

"Well, if you need to talk about it... I'll be around."

"I do appreciate that. Thank you for your concern."

"In the meantime, shall we walk a bit? We never did get to finish our last discussion. Something about the stars, I believe?"

"Ah, I remember. Yes, let's walk."

"Ooh, I am likin' stars," Dixie added, sounding excited. "They sparklin' my eyes."

"I'm sure they must."

"Yeah, I got my mommy eyes," she agreed casually. "Daddy say so."

Parsley laughed out loud. "Your daddy must love you very much."

"He gimme life. I a precious girl."

"And so well spoken! She must get that from you."

"Well, we do try. She is very precious to us, indeed. I've never known a person to inspire so much affection in my brother."

"Who could help it?" Parsley pointed out, patting the baby on her head. "She is utterly adorable. 2?"

"Yes?"

"I am looking forward to us becoming friends. You'd be good to keep in my pocket."

"And you in mine," he agreed, offering his arm. Looking highly impressed with his manners, she accepted and they strolled off.

"Such a gentleman. My boys could learn a thing or two from you, you know. Not that they would deign to know anything from everyone. Convinced they know it all, they are..."

"Never mind them, for now. If I recall correctly, you were confounded by the thought of our own sun being a star."

"Yes, indeed! Explain this."

"With pleasure, my friend."

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It had felt to 3 that their walk to the gathering had been spent giving various warnings about avoiding people. 2 apparently had a problem with one of his classmates, but 3 wasn't sure exactly what she looked like. He had to keep looking over his shoulder for Rosemary's brothers, himself.

How on earth Thyme and Dill managed to share the same piece of their creator's soul, no one could quite say. Those who had read _Annuls of Paracelsus_ all agreed that attempting to split a soul like that was deadly-it left only a five percent chance of survival, at best, for the giver and the receiver. Yet there they were, and there were the others who had been born after them. Their creator had gotten very lucky.

So the boys were twins of the truest sense; and they were a little too proud of it, in 3's opinion. He was also a twin. In fact, lots of them were twins. Gamma and Theta had once had a triplet, for goodness sake. He wouldn't have cared how obnoxious Thyme and Dill were about it... Except that the soul piece they shared was the Scholar, and put them in the same class with him. Their obnoxiousness was hard to ignore, especially because they vollied it constantly at his head, at at Theta's as well. It was impossible to escape.

The only adult in the group wasn't much help, either, because it was the always-contrary Teslev. He was a little old man, and the rest of the Scholars were all youngsters. It seemed like he didn't particularly care if they were being bothered by their own, because they were all heathens as far as he was concerned. He didn't bother lecturing them; instead, when he did speak to them, he talked down to them as if they were some race of aimless, amoral animals who could never understand his own ways.

3 didn't like it in the slightest. Picked on, bullied, talked down to-oh, he simply couldn't stand it. At least he had Theta, who was kind and quiet, and Ezekiel, who was softspoken and wise for his age. He got along quite nicely with them; and they all agreed that they'd be better off without the deadweight that was the rest of their class.

"You've just got to be strong and take it in stride," Ezekiel commented, almost annoyingly calm in the face of adversity. "There are worse fates to face, after all. They could be nailing you to a cross in front of everyone."

3 wasn't sure what his new friend meant by that, but it sounded decidedly unpleasant. Maybe Zeke could stay calm under this pressure, but it was too much. 3 decided to leave after a while, and his friends went with him. Teslev and the boys seemed too absorbed in their own lofty affairs to notice when they left, and they didn't mind.

When the three of them settled somewhere else, they began talking about their mutual favorite thing in the world: books. After some discussion, they discovered that they could all read in Latin and Greek, and Zeke was struggling to learn Hebrew all by himself. (Teslev's help would have been an admitted boon, but it was best to be realistic.) They were also well versed in classical mythology and poetry.

3 quickly found himself listening neutrally, as his friends had a civilized argument over the existence of a God in the universe. Zeke argued yes, of course; he had a citable printed source on his side. Theta argued on the side of logic; if such a loving, all knowing God existed, her sisters wouldn't have been possessed by a demon and killed. To which Zeke argued back, the fact that so many had been brought back from the dead was a sure sign that his God was alive and well, and at work in the world. 3 was glad he didn't have an opinion to offer; it was a fascinating debate to listen to. Finally, a scholarly discussion about something deeper than skin and written law.

The discussion had carried on for close to an hour and still going strong, when the Fourth clan's Prophet, Sage, bounced into their circle. She was never as calm or subdued as the other Prophets, but she had turned out to be one of their more pleasant members. She was never purposefully offensive or rude; if she ever was, it was simply because she was a Prophet, and all of them tended to act that way sometimes. Mostly, she was just as sweet and carefree as a butterfly. And today was no exception. She skipped right up to them, letting her springy blonde pigtails flounce in every direction, with a grin on her face.

"Hiya," she said, waving her hand. "Um, there is a problem."

"What's that?" Zeke asked.

"Well, everyone is here now. There's supposed to be us four," she explained in a vague, sing-song voice, nervously twiddling her fingers in spite of her smile. "But... Someone's missing."

"Who?"

"6 is missing. Dunno where he's gone to. Seen him?"

His friends all shook their heads no, they hasn't seen him around. 3 had to stifle an aggravated groan. Fooling around with his sister, he bet. The very idea always made him feel sick to his stomach.

 _"I'll go look for them-him,"_ he volunteered, hurrying away before anyone could comment on that Freudian slip. The sooner he found them and out a stop to their shenanigans, the better. They were at a gathering, for crying out loud! Practically in public. It just made him so furious.

_If I wanted to make out with my girlfriend, where would I go? Some place quiet, deserted, and dark. Some place where her brother might not think to look for us. Probably high up, because I_ _know_ _said brother isn't good at climbing things. So... Pretty much_ _anywhere_ _in this building. Great..._

Resigning to spend the rest of his afternoon searching for them, he sighed and trudged on his way. He had always considered 6 to be one of his closer friends, but the flagrant relationship he was carrying on with 4 was putting a bad strain on their friendship. She was up to no good, and they both knew it. Maybe he wouldn't have minded so much if they hadn't ignored his feelings so stubbornly. The fact that his own sister didn't care how he felt, and had convinced his best friend not to care either hurt him more than anything. Any opportunity to stomp all over their romance was welcome.

"Rough day, huh?"

3 looked up with a start. While he had been lost in angry thought, Gamma had found and started following him. Kind of glad to have pleasant company, he smiled down at her.

_"Oh, hi, Gamma. Um... Yeah, I guess."_

"You seem pretty upset. I've been right here next to you for the past five minutes, and you haven't said a word."

_"Just some trouble with little sisters..."_

"Boy, I know the feeling. It's not always easy being the older twin."

_"I didn't think anyone as shy and quiet as Theta could give you a second's worry."_

"Not so much worry. Sometimes, its her shyness that gets to me. She isn't the easiest to carry on a conversation with."

_"You could have fooled me. She was an entire side of a really interesting debate a while ago. She argues her points gracefully."_

"Oh," Gamma sighed, looking dissapointed. "She's always so much more fun when she's with the other Scholars. She never talks with me about intense stuff like that. Deep inside, she lives to argue and debate about things; but I never get to see it. Like, doesn't she think I can do that too? I'm pretty clever, myself."

_"It takes a special brain to do what you do."_

"I never thought so. It just comes naturally, you know?"

_"Yeah-because you have a special brain."_

She gave him a grateful smile. "Where is your sister, anyway? I think some people were looking for her."

_"That is the moment's problem. I have no idea where she could have gone. I'm not sure where to start looking for her."_

"Just feel around for her. She's your twin-you'll find her."

_"I don't think we ever learned how to do that. We've never really been apart... Until recently... Now it seems like she's always gone, and I can't always find her."_

"Why do you think that is? That she's always gone, I mean?"

He knew good and well why that was; but it would be horribly inappropriate to explain it to a child like Gamma. She was nobody's fool and would probably understand to an extent; but he got the feeling that her family wouldn't appreciate him divulging naughty secrets to her.

He also didn't want to tell people that his sister had suddenly decided to start thinking with her breasts instead of her perfectly useful brain. Even if she was begging for trouble, he still felt an instinctive need to protect her honor by insisting that everything was normal and fine. Being an intellectual, that instinct drove him crazy. He certainly wasn't going to blab on her to a perfect stranger.

 _"She's got some problems of her own,"_ he said instead, making no bones about disapproving.

"Everyone's got problems. Maybe the first step is understanding what she's going through. Then maybe you'll understand what you're going through better."

_"Wow. Are you sure you're not a Scholar? 'Cause you're a great philosopher."_

"Gee, thanks," she smiled. "And there's plenty more where that came from. If you're going to make music, you've got to have something to inspire it. For myself, I like to make music out of my thoughts."

_"Hm... My dumb sister can wait. Want to walk for a while?"_

"We're already walking," she giggled.

_"Then lets walk in a different direction."_

"Sounds good to me."

And just like that, 3 found that he had made a new best friend.

2222222222

"You have to promise me you won't tell anyone about this."

Epsilon didn't know if he could live up to his daughter's request. 1 had warned him that the Fifth clan had experienced something terrible recently. He wasn't sure what he had expected it to be; but Pi had hit him hard over the head with several stripes of tragedy.

There had been several pieces of her story she had left out to spare him; but in light of her loss, she had decided to come clean. He was horrified and sickened by the sudden loss of his grandchild... But if he had known exactly how long it had been there, he might have beaten its father within an inch of his life. On principle, of course. He had nothing against 5-he was a good man, and a hero, and he clearly loved Pi very much in any case. But being her own father made the whole thing seem unforgivable.

No good beating wouldn't bring the child back, though. That anger passed in an instant. Knowing first hand what it was like to watch the life of his children slip through his hands, what he really wanted to give 5 was an enormous hug. He couldn't imagine the pain that kind, sweet man had gone through over the past few months.

"So... What will you do now, dear?" Sigma asked, trying to keep an objective face, and not to weep.

"They're making me a new body," Pi explained with a somber face. "I'll be a fully grown woman. More importantly, we'll be able to have a family like we wanted. Our baby was never unwanted, just a little surprising; maybe it gave me the strength to keep from despairing, that night. It was all of our hopes and triumphs in one place... I still can't believe its just gone..."

"You're always welcome to come home, if you need to."

"I need to be with my husband. We need each other. Maybe more than ever."

"I can understand and respect that. You're such a brave girl."

"Thank you, mother."

"Should the girls know?"

"I'd like to tell them myself. I don't want them to have to hear it second hand, as a snippet of gossip. They deserve that much."

"But you're willing to try again? After all that's happened, you're not afraid?"

"No, I'm not. This old thing is just a minor setback," Pi explained, looking over her scarred arms and chest. "Anyway, its what we wanted. It's what _I_ wanted. I had always expected to have children one day, but Alpha made that impossible. Then I suddenly had a second chance, and I was so excited... And then that was taken from me, too, and I was crushed. Third time's the charm, I suppose."

"You think so?"

She looked up at them with a stern face. "5 has never let me down before. He won't fail me now. Father... Do you think my baby's with Delta? Do you think she's looking after it?"

It was too much for him. He pulled her into his arms and held her close.

"I'm sure she is. She never failed you, either."

She snuggled into his chest and sniffled. "I'm sorry I hid this from you."

"I suppose I see why you did. Your mother is right: you are brave, for coming forward. That took no small amount of courage. For everything its worth, I am very proud of you."

"We had thought to make an announcement to everyone tonight," she added. "Not about how our baby was made, of course, but about what happened to it. We could use the support and kind thoughts of the community, if they would give them. They share their problems with us, and we're happy to help them. They would return the favor, right?"

"Of course they would. I think they would appreciate it. In fact, maybe one or two of them can give you council."

He knew Pi didn't know what he meant by that, but she would if she made her problems known to everyone. There were a few things that would surprise her, if she asked. For now, he knew exatctly the two people who would come forward to comfort her.

That evening, when all the clans had gathered again for the night, Epsilon and Sigma watched and waited for their daughter to call everyone's attention. The twins were also waiting anxiously, because Pi had already explained the tragedy to them.

"I don't know what to think about it," Gamma commented sadly. "It's like, it didn't effect us at all... But at the same time, it does. Another piece of us is gone."

"Just like Delta," Theta added quietly. "I wish something happy would happen, for once."

"Don't despair, my dears," Sigma insisted, holding them close. "Hope isn't lost, as long as your sister is brave enough to keep it. In days to come, everything will be alright."

A while passed as a dull roar of conversation. Then 5 and Pi cautiously came forward and took the floor, and a lot of people looked up immediately-already aware that the Fifth clan had some sort of terrible problem, and dying for an explanation.

"Hey, hey, everyone," 5 said in an unusually loud voice, "can everyone look up here for a second?"

All conversation suddenly ceased, and they had the gathering's undivided attention.

"So, um," he continued sheepishly, "I guess most of you know by now that something big happened with us recently, and we think you all deserve to know."

"It happened several weeks ago," Pi explained, "not too long after our last gathering... We had been expecting a child."

A buzz of excitement rippled over the crowd at this thrilling triumph.

"But..."

The buzz died in an instant. Pi looked down at the floor, unable to face them head on, and her husband put a supportive arm around her.

"...I'm afraid we've lost it."

There was a simultaneous gasp of shock from the crowd. Epsilon had hoped everyone would be sympathetic. Death was death, and it was a sad business, even if it was someone else's loss to battle. Wounded again by her own words, Pi wrapped her arms around herself and took a deep, shaking breath, unable to speak anymore.

"We haven't been a part of your community for very long, but many of you have been our friends and allies in the past," 5 continued for her. "We decided you should know about this. There isn't much anyone can do about it now; but if you would think of us kindly in the future, we would appreciate it."

As he spoke, two people made their way out of the crowd to approach them-Cheshvan and Keslev, just as Epsilon had expected they would. Kislev walked right up to Pi with a deeply sympathetic look; and to the crowd's surprise, she gently pulled the girl into a fierce embrace.

Pi wa surprised as well. Keslev-whose husband she had once ensnared and kidnapped-was hugging her. Of course she didn't understand.

"This is what was bothering you before?" Cheshvan asked somberly. "5, you should have told me. We understand completely."

"Then, you...?"

Cheshvan bowed his head. "We, too, have lost a child. Between Daniel and Hadassah, there was another. Mother said we were due another son... He was never born."

"So, we do have three children," Keslev added quietly. "Our Jacob simply isn't here with us. But he was; he had a name, and a family who loved him. He still does. He is still in my heart, and always will be. Your little one will never truely leave you, either.

"...I had prayed this would never have to happen to another mother, the way it happened to me..."

"If there is anything you need from either of us-anything at all-all you need to do is ask," Cheshvan concluded, placing a sympathetic hand on 5's shoulder. "We would be happy to help you."

5 put his hand on his friend's, and gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you."

With that decided, Keslev took Pi by the hand and began to lead her away.

"Come, child. Let us talk for a while."

Pi let her newest friend lead her in silence. It was amazing to see. In the midst of so much loss and heartache, all of them had found the beginnings of healing. Epsilon sighed to himself, glad that this bitter announcement had gone so well. Now that it had been made, lots of people were rushing up to offer their condolences.

Many others hung back, though, some of them wretched enough to revel in his daughter's loss. On the other side of the crowd, he could swear he could see Rosemary giggling to herself.

"There will be a lion's share of conflicts to face later," Sigma commented, noticing the face he had made. "For the time being, we should focus on what's right with the world now. Like I said, there is always hope, if someone is willing to keep it."

That was a welcome truth. If Pi was unwilling to despair in the face of her troubles, then he wouldn't despair for her. A girl so brave deserved that dignity.

For now, everything would be just fine.


	7. New Beginnings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A nice, moving scene. More of Pi is extremely Greek...

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_New Beginnings_

2222222222

Pi was frustrated. Just when things were going along so smoothly with her new body, 5 had up and left for a few days. He had told her not to worry-the last couple of things he needed required a short trip into the ruins, but he would be back soon. He wouldn't tell her exactly where he was going or what he was looking for, insisting that it was all part of the surprise. She trusted him, though, and wished him luck on his hunt. Still, she missed having her sweetheart beside her; and his absence gave her too many opportunities to sneak into his things to poke around.

At least three times since he had left, her curiosity had almost gotten the better of her. All his plans, blueprints, and what was complete of her body were hidden in a box in the workroom, without a lock or a constant guardian. The temptation to sneak a peak was overwhelming.

But every time she came close to giving in-once, she had her hands on the very lid, ready to open the box-she remembered the cautionary tale of Pandora, whose curiosity had unleashed every terrible thing onto the world. Including the grief of miscarriage. So each time she came close to giving in, she forced herself to step away from the box and walk straight back where she had come from. 5 had trusted her to leave his things alone. The surprise meant so much to him. She wouldn't betray that trust, after everything he had done for her.

On the evening of the third day, Pi sat alone in her room daydreaming. Without warning, the alarm bell sounded overhead. Sitting up listen, she counted the tolls-only three, in all. The accepted signal that one of their own had come home. She jumped up and ran for the entrance, fully intent on giving her husband an enormous welcome home hug. She hoped she would even beat everyone else to the chase; they would all want to do exactly the same.

She was vaguely aware of someone else as she tore past them, but she couldn't be bothered by who it was. She only had eyes for the entrance, and her 5 as he marched up to courtyard toward it. When he saw her burst out into the light, running to him with all her energy, his march quickened to a run until they had flown into each others arms. Pi thought he would topple backwards from the force; instead, he picked her up and spun her around, both of them laughing all the way.

"You act like I had been missing for weeks," he commented, setting her back on her feet and hugging her.

"Weeks, days,, what does it matter?" She answered, snuggling into him. "I've missed you. Did you find what you were looking for?"

"And then some," he smiled. He hoisted his pack back into place-looking quite full of surprises-and took her hand, leading her back inside. As they entered, they found 9 waiting patiently just inside. Pi had a feeling it might have been him she had passed.

"I thought that might be you," he said. "How was the trip?"

"Nice, now that the weather is cooling off. It was a successful journey."

"Where exactly did you go?"

"Um, I can't really talk about it with my lovely wife right here."

Pi gave him a playful shove. "Yes, you can! I want to know everything!"

"Surprises, darling. Be patient."

She rolled her eyes, but didn't press him. They went first to the workroom, where 5 left his pack pinning his box of things shut. As he did, Pi gave the box a triumphant leer. It had tried, but failed to conquer her. She had won that battle decicively.

"Tell everyone I'll be around in a bit. I think they'll understand if I want to be alone with Pi for a while."

"They'll understand completely," 9 agreed, finally finding a moment to give his brother a hug. "It's good to have you home."

Pi was glad she would have him to herself for a while, before the rest of the family started drilling him for details of his trip. When they were alone in their room, at last, he turned to her and unbuttoned his chest.

"I brought you back something you can have right now," he said, reaching into his body cavity. "To make the waiting a little easier. I know its been hard for you to wait."

"But you're having so much fun," she pointed out. "I'll leave you with that."

Out of his chest, he produced a pendant hanging from a chain of gold. The pendant gleamed like pink glass in the light, wrapped elegantly in fine gold wire.

"I made this for you," he said, gently lowering it over her head. Her heart touched, she held the pendant in her hands to take a closer look at it. It wasn't just glass.

"...5, is this rose quartz?"

"I heard its your favorite," he said with a grin.

"You've been with my parents!" She guessed, thrilled to have figured him out. "That's where you've been all this time, isn't it."

"And they had everything I was looking for," he answered, pulling her close. "I had a feeling they might know where to find the yarn for your hair."

"Is that all you brought back?"

"There are one or two other important things, but that was the big one." He ran his fingers thoughtfully through her hair and smiled. "It's going to be so long, when its done."

"Really?"

"I remember you saying you wish your hair was longer."

"How much longer?"

"Longer. I'm not telling you anything else."

"Oh, come on! Just tell me!"

"Your body will be everything you wanted and more," he promised, kissing her forehead. "Just trust me."

She sighed, defeated. "Of course I trust you."

That was always one of his favorite things to hear. He gently lifted her face against his for a kiss that was long overdue. She hadn't kissed him good morning, goodnight, or for any other reason for three days. She had to make up for lost time.

"Only a few weeks left, now," he said softly. "It's almost done."

She gave him a brilliant smile. "I'm happy to wait."

2222222222

It was well into October, and one afternoon, Pi was babysitting Dixie in the common room, while her mother took a turn on watch.

"Just think of all the stuff you'll be able to do when you're a big girl," Pi commented to the baby.

"Yes, I am be a big girl, and I am runnin' all 'rounda place. Daddy say so."

"What else do you think you'll do?"

"Big sissy say I am readin' writtin'," Dixie answered with a puzzled face, "but I dunno what's that."

"It means your bother and sister are going to teach you how to work with letters," Pi explained. "You know your ABC's, right?"

Dixie perked right up and began to sing, "A, B, C, D, E, F, G!"

"Well, we use the alphabet to make words, so we can communicate with each other, but without our voices. And your brother and sister are going to help you learn how to do that."

Dixie shook her head. "No, no," she said decidedly, "ABC's my song, no readin' writtin', nope."

"Once you start, you probably won't be able to get enough," Pi commented with a laugh. "If you're anything like your father, you'll pick it up faster than they can teach you."

"Oh, daddy readin' writtin'?  _Him_  teach me. My daddy readin' me."

"I'll bet he does. That daddy of yours sure loves to read."

"Daddy la-la-la me more. Ooh, I am big girl, I'm sayin' that word!"

The fact that she still couldn't pronounce her v's properly was an obvious peeve of hers. Her parents talked easily about love in front of her all the time-they were always reminding her how much they loved her, and they said the same to each other, too. She knew what it was, and how much it meant to everyone. But she just couldn't say the word love because of the roadblock letter V.

Pi watched with a content smile as Dixie wandered around the open space, making up another little song as she toddled about. She loved playing with the child so much. She knew in her heart that she would make a good mother. Her thinking was suddenly interrupted by a throat being cleared nearby; she looked up to see 5 standing in the doorway, looking very pleased with himself.

"Hi, honey," she greeted. "What's up?"

"I was just wondering... When do you think you can be ready for the transfer?"

Pi jumped to her feet. "It's done?"

"Just now. All it needs is you. Setting it up doesn't take long, either-we can do it tonight, if you want."

With a delighted squeal, she ran to hug him. "Oh, I've waited so long for this moment! And now that its here, I don't know what to say!"

"Just say the word. Whenever you're ready."

"Yes, tonight. As soon as we can. I don't want to wait another second."

"Tonight, then," he agreed with a chuckle. "I'll let my brother know, and we'll come get you when we're ready."

"Can't I help?"

"I'm afraid not. This is something we have to do ourselves. This rite is all about you, and you shouldn't have to lift a finger for it. Let me do this for you. It's only a few more hours, and you won't have to wait anymore. I promise."

Pi sighed heavily. "Alright, then. I guess I can wait a few more hours.

"You'll be glad you did. There are more than a few surprises waiting for you. Everything is going to be perfect."

"You sound like my mother, fussing over my wedding day."

"This is another big moment, just like that day. And my perfect wife shouldn't have anything less than the best."

"Oh, stop it."

Beneath them, Dixie had toddled over and grabbed their legs as best she could with her short arms. "Now I get some huggin's!" She insisted, snuggling her face into their knees. 5 knelt to scoop her up, and they hugged her together.

"Guess what, baby?" Pi whispered in her ear. "I'm going to get a big girl body, just like you!"

"What? You a big girl now," she said dubiously.

"Well, I'm getting a big,  _big_  girl body today. I'll be all grown up, and I won't need another body ever again. Isn't that exciting?"

"Ooh. I can see?"

"When I get back, yes. I might be a little different, but I'll be the same me."

"I be the same me?"

"I'm sure you will," she agreed, kissing her niece on the cheek. "You'll be the same wonderful little girl you are now, only a little bigger. Growing up isn't so hard, see?"

Shortly after that, 5 vanished again, and Pi resumed her patient waiting. Only a few more hours, now. The tension and excitement were eating her alive, but she took several deep breaths to calm herself. She had waited since July for this; these last few hours would be easy.

Dixie soon tired herself out, and she climbed onto the sofa to curl up for a nap. 7 returned in the middle of the second hour to collect her baby; someone must have gone to the watchtower to tell her the news, because she greeted her sister with a congratulatory hug.

"I can't believe its tonight," she said with a grin. "It's finally happening! I'm so happy for you."

"I'm also excited. Can you believe it? I'll walk out of the library as a girl, and when I walk back in, I'll actually be a woman. I spent so long thinking it was one and the same, and that it didn't matter..."

"You used to take it so seriously," 7 agreed, her smile becoming rueful. "But... I don't think any of us really could. Don't take this the wrong way, Pi, but you are definitely not a grown woman."

"No, it's true. I really am just a kid. I know-I think and talk and act like one, and I always have. I know who I am."

"So, are you ready to finally be a woman? Aren't you going to miss being a kid?"

"Not really. I've grown tired of this. Anyway, I'm married to a man, and he wants to start his family with me. He deserves a wife with a woman's head on her shoulders, keeping his house and raising his children. That's a lot to ask from a someone who's still a child, herself. I want to be that woman, as well."

"Well, for still being a child, you have a very mature mindset. I'm proud of you."

Pi beamed at her, impossibly thrilled. "Thanks. Um, I guess you're not supposed to come with me, huh?"

"It's only a two-person job," 7 agreed, sitting down on the sofa. "I think 9 said it has something to do with the talisman-something about representing its functions. I'm not really sure what it means, and I'm not sure if I care to know. But if you ask him, he'll explain it. Believe me, I had asked if I could be there. I wish he'd let me go with you."

"It would have meant a lot to me. You've become my best friend. I don't think I've ever had a best friend before."

Looking genuinely touched, 7 beckoned for Pi to come sit with her. She sat down with a sigh, an odd thought occurring to her. She had chosen weeks before to let 7 into the dark secret of where her baby had come from; who else could she trust more? In the confidence of her closest friend and fellow wife, maybe she could ask a few personal, private questions and get a kind but honest answer.

"How long did it take you to have Dixie?"

"Hm... A few months, I suppose. We were married late in June, and she was conceived late in October-a week from tomorrow last year, if I'm remembering right. But then, we weren't trying; we didn't know we could have children yet. So there we were, carrying on like a married couple, thinking nothing would ever get in the way of that, and then all of a sudden... There she was.

"My goodness... We carried on for a long time like that, and nothing happened. Frankly, I hope it goes back to being that way. But you... You got lucky on your first try."

"Yeah... Is it weird?"

"That it happened so easily?"

"No, that we've only made love once before, and we weren't even married yet. After we were married, we had a baby and didn't want to put it in danger. And then... It happened to easily the first time. I can't risk it happening again like that, only to lose another child that I can't carry. So we've waited. But is that weird?"

7 was silent as she processed this. "I think your waiting has been wise, then."

"If only I could have waited before, shown a little self control and thought with my head first," Pi lamented. "Maybe we wouldn't be in this mess now... Oh, but we would have suffered this anyway, sooner or later. Perhaps it was best to just have it out of the way, so we could move on."

"You shouldn't beat yourself like this," 7 insisted, putting her arm around her. "What happened was terrible and-yes-unavoidable. And maybe you could have made better choices before, but they've already been made. In any case, I think you've done well."

"You think so?"

"I've watched it with my own eyes. You have a strong soul, and I've seen it become stronger these past few months. As long as you've got 5 to lean on, and he has you, I don't think there's anything the two of you can't do."

Pi gave her a thankful smile. "You and 9 are the same."

"Love isn't picky, Pi. It makes us want what's best for the people around us. And I don't think that feeling is limited to the people we feel the strongest for. We can  _feel_  anything we want, whenever we want, for whoever we want; but even in the depths of anger, or sorrow, or confusion, or any other pain life can bring, love won't change. That's probably the only reason I haven't killed my husband yet. There have been plenty of moments I've been angry enough to do it."

Pi couldn't help a giggle. "Really?"

"Oh, I could have torn his head off and not blinked... But I would have missed him too much."

"Has he ever been mad at you, for a change?"

7 was silent, thinking back as hard as she could. "...You know, I'm not sure if he's even capable of that. I think he's tried before, and he's had plenty of cause to be in the past-I am admittedly a difficult person. But if he ever has been mad at me for anything I've done, he didn't show it very well. What about you? Have you ever been mad at 5 for anything?"

"...I remember a moment, right after I lost the baby, I suddenly decided that he must have had something to do with it. Like, how could he have not known? Why didn't he tell me? Did he  _want_  this to happen to me? Deep inside, I knew it couldn't be true, but... Having someone to blame made me feel sort of better; but mostly, it just made me feel worse. I can't believe that I would ever think something like that about him. I haven't exactly told him about it, either. Do you think I should?"

"Hm... I think that's something you need to figure out for yourself. Though if it were me, I would come clean. It's no good to carry something like that around all by yourself. I would also choose to tell him on a different day. He's worked too hard to make this special for you. Don't ruin it for him."

"I wouldn't do that. Knowing something like that would crush him. I just don't know how to tell him."

"Speak from your heart, then. What he needs to know more than anything is that you're sorry for it, and that you want his forgiveness. That's another great thing I've learned about love: love is compassion, and where there's compassion, there's forgiveness. The sooner people learn this, the better off I think we'll all be."

"Thanks for that. It does make everything clearer."

"Thinking that hard about things can be a strain for me, sometimes. But in the end, yes, it does make everything clearer. After tonight, maybe you'll be able to see these things for yourself; but I'm always happy to talk with you. I'm happy I've influenced you so much."

That was met with a contemplative, companionable silence. There want much more that needed to be said, after that. After a moment, 7 stood up and scooped her sleeping baby off the sofa.

"Part of me is glad that she's already asleep," she commented. "We're trying desperately to wean her, before her upgrade, but it hasn't been easy. She was so excited about being a big girl; but when we told her she couldn't nurse after that, she suddenly became very anxious. I guess we can't blame her. It's a pretty big change, for a little girl."

"Do you think she'll mind, when its over?"

"I don't know. I'm just worried that when she has more words to use, she'll fight it harder. I don't want to jinx it, but we may have a negotiator and a smart ass on our hands. I suppose its what happens, when you put 9's best qualities and mine together in one body. I don't think we had realized what a lethal combination it could make."

"She's a force of nature, just like you."

"And that's what concerns us. We may never have a moment's peace, until she's an adult."

"Well, she's been good practice. Though I can't imagine my kids could be so much to handle. But then... I guess we'll see."

"Don't underestimate yourself," 7 cautioned with a smirk. "You and 5 can also be forces of nature, when you want to be. You're not exactly predictable people, either. You may be pleasantly surprised."

"I don't know... I've always thought of you guys as lions-peaceful and noble at rest, ferocious and terrifying when provoked. I just can't see myself that way."

"You are far from a lightweight, Pi. I'm sure that my brother sees a lion in you, just as much as he sees one in you."

"Thanks."

"Hey, you get some rest. You need to be in good shape for tonight. Sunset will be here before you know it."

Pi decided to take her sister's advice. Once they had left, she flopped back on the sofa and closed her eyes for what she intended to be a short nap. Her sleep was dark and dreamless, but restful. She was woken by someone shaking her gently, to the sound of other gathered voices.

"Pi, wake up. I never meant for you to fall into a coma."

She opened her eyes and saw 7 hovering over her with an amused smile on her face.

"How long did I sleep?" She asked, slowly sitting up.

"Since I left, it looks like. That was about three hours ago."

"Aw, geez," she muttered, rubbing her neck sheepishly. "I guess sleeping has always been something I've been good at. Has 5 come back yet?"

"No, not yet. But everyone else is here now. They didn't want to wake you; you seemed so peaceful."

She looked around to see everyone had gathered in the common room for the evening-except that 9 and 5 were distinctly missing. She wondered where they were, exactly, and what they were up to... While she wondered, 3 darted up to her, beaming.

_"So, we hear its tonight! Congratulations! You must be pretty excited."_

"Impossibly," she agreed. "It's been hours. Surely, they must be back soon."

_"You've got to feel ready for anything, after that nap. Man, you could fall down and sleep just about anywhere, huh?"_

"Yeah, probably."

3 continued filling the last bit of her waiting with discussion of the virtues of sleep and dreams. He rarely slept without vivid, colorful dreams, though his sister tended to sleep dreamlessly; knowing that, he never took his ability to sleep sweetly for granted. It was easy, lighthearted conversation, and she was grateful to have it taking the edge off her growing excitement and impatience. In fact, she became to wrapped up in their conversation, she was a little startled by a gentle knocking on the doorway.

Everyone looked up. 9 was standing in the doorway, holding his hand out to Pi.

"It's time."

She got to her feet and straightened herself confidently.

"Well, everyone, this is it. I'll see you all soon."

They all wished her goodbyes and good luck as she went to join her brother. He out his arm around her shoulder and led her out into the library, lighting their way with his light stick.

"Are you nervous?" He asked.

"Far from it. ...Should I be?"

"Not at all. If I wait much longer, I may jump out of my skin!"

"Hold that thought until we get outside," he advised with a laugh. "I don't have the talisman to catch you."

She was glad to say that the talisman didn't even scare her at all. Knowing that it was just a tool, and being used for her immense benefit, she couldn't believe how it had once frightened her. Or how it had been used to harm so many people in the past. Today, she was very grateful for its existence.

"9, remind me to ask you how that thing works, sometime. I find myself suddenly very curious."

"Of course."

"7 said its only supposed to be the three of us. Why is that?"

"Every talisman has three main functions: construction, deconstruction, and reconstruction. The three of us represent each one, in this rite. I'll tell you more when we get outside, okay?"

Outside, the autumn sun had already set, and a half-moon had risen in its place. Scorpio had also risen, hanging upside down this early in the night. It wasn't the sign she had been born under-oddly enough, it was Mu who had been animated under the devious scorpion, and it wasn't surprising. Pi had been born under feminine Virgo, which was also not surprising.

_Some people don't put stock in the movement of the stars,_ she thought to herself.  _But I don't see how they can't matter. They tell me a lot about myself, and many other people I know._

A fire was burning in the middle of the courtyard; if she looked closely in the dark, she could see her husband's outline on the other side of it, waiting sturdy and stalwart as always.

"Where's my body?" She asked when they drew near, and her object of interest was nowhere to be seen.

"Facing the east, on the other side of the fire. You'll be facing west."

"Oh. I like that."

"Yeah, so do I," 9 agreed. "There are always two officiators-one to deconstruct, and one to reconstruct. And you are what we're constructing. Does that make sense?"

"It does. They really thought this through, huh?"

"Hm. Sometimes..."

There was still so much that no one understood. How much of their science had been trial and error, and a series of happy mistakes?

5 came around the fire to join them, and took his wife's hands in his own. "Are you ready?"

"More than I'll ever be."

He helped her down to the ground and let her lie carefully on her back. Kneeling beside her, he brushed her hair out of her face.

"And here we are, my dear. You know you don't have to be afraid of anything."

"So, you'll be the one to deconstruct me?"

"I know it sound a little weird."

"No, I trust you. You've already deconstructed me once before. You'll do great. I'm proud of you" Fi."

He grinned and kissed her face before standing again, reaching into his body and pulling out the talisman.

"Just a second," he mumbled, concentrating on the sequence that would take her soul by the hand and lead her out.

She took a moment to appreciate him, standing solid above her. Then she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, feeling the last moment of waiting slip right by her. She could hear the buttons being pressed, and the talisman ringing louder and louder with energy. She felt a strange, familiar force crash into her, and sort of lift her up effortlessly, as if she were a leaf on the wind.

And then, she was floating weightlessly in the dark, as if her eyes were still closed. It wasn't a cold, numb darkness. It was a wide open space, and she was free to drift about anywhere she wanted.

_I'm dead. I'm inside the talisman. I never dreamed it could be so nice here._

It lasted for less than a minute. It felt like something was pouring her like water right back out of the talisman, as quickly and easily as it had sucked her in. She opened her eyes again, taking a gasp of air into lungs that were alarmingly empty. She took several deep breaths, trying to fill them; but they were unused to breathing, and she suddenly began to cough, choking on her own desperate gasps for air.

"Easy, easy," said a gentle voice above her, followed by an arm around her, helping her sit up. "Give it a moment. These lungs have never had to breathe before."

It was 9, who had reconstructed her. She tried to get her cough under control, slowing her deep breaths until everything had righted itself. She placed her hand over her heart, which felt stiff from being kick started so suddenly.

"It's over?"

"It sure is. Take a look."

She slowly looked down at herself, noticing her hand and forearm first. Her slender fingers gleamed brassy in the firelight as she slowly flexed them. The movement was so fluid and smooth, without age or wear to slow their movements. The pink of her arms was darker than she remembered them being before, but...

There were no scars. It was all one continuous piece of rosy fabric, disrupted only by an even, perfectly stitched seam that ran from her wrist to her shoulder. Overcome with wonder, a grin made its way across her face and she began to laugh.

"It's perfect..."

His arm still around her, 9 took her by her perfect new hand and carefully hauled her to her feet.

"How do you feel?"

"Excellent!" She cried. "I could dance, I'm so happy! I-oh, what's this...?"

Her attempt to jump into the air was suddenly halted by something wrapped around her body and legs. Peering down, she found herself dressed in a flowing white toga. It drapped gracefully across her lower back to wrap around her front and over her arms, concealing the two buttons adorning her chest. The hem of her toga had even stitched with a blocky Grecian border in pink and shimmering gold thread.

It clearly wasn't the handiwork of the Fifth clan. Where had it come from?

"A gift from your mother," 5 explained from the other side of the fire. Hearing his voice with fresh ears, seeing his goofy face with a brand new pair of eyes, her heart lept with joy. It was a little painful, not yet used to being filled with so much emotion, but it didn't matter. She dashed around the fire and threw her arms around him, unable to stop laughing.

"I love it!" She squealed. "I love, it love it-I love you!" She grabbed his face and pressed her lips so hard against his she couldn't breath anymore. And it was easier than ever. She was nearly as tall as he was now; she could almost look directly into his eye.

"Boy, if that isn't a thank you," he laughed when she finally released him. "And don't forget this."

He held up her quartz pendant, which she had removed perhaps once since she had received it. Despite her beautiful toga, she almost felt naked without it. She reached over her shoulder to lift her hair out of its way, to find that it didn't end where it used to; it was easily twice the length she remembered.

"Does it ever end?" She giggled, as he lowered her necklace back over her neck.

"I told you it would be longer. Is it what you wanted?"

"Oh, Fi, its perfect," she sighed, hugging him again. "Everything is absolutely perfect. Its everything i had hoped for and more. Thank you."

"I promised you it would be."

"And I never doubted you for a second."

She looked past him and down at her former shell, empty and entirely useless.

"What do we do with that?"

"The last part of the rite. We lay it to rest."

At the base of one of the statues, the boys had dug a deep hole; the pile of dirt they had unearth sat on top of a wide sheet of metal, salvaged from the side of a car. Being the Bearer, 9 picked up the empty shell and dropped it as ceremoniously as he could into the hole.

"It will wear away with time," he commented. "Nothing is ever made to last forever."

Standing between her husband and brother, Pi helped them lift the metal sheet upright until the pile of dirt fell back into the hole and filled it. Pushing it over on top of the loamy soil, the boys stomped on it a few times to settle it. Finally, the work was completed.

"We'll let the fire die down over night," 9 explained as they walked back inside. "When there's no sun, fire can be just as good."

"So," Pi commented flirtatiously to her husband, "want to try this whole baby thing again?"

"What? You haven't been in this body for fifteen minutes yet, and you want to get started right now?"

"I'm tired of waiting for things! I'm more than ready. I can't tell you how ready I am to start our family. It's what we both wanted."

"Alright, alright," he agreed, squeezing her hand. "A quick hello to the others, give them a chance to bask in your perfection for a few minutes, and then I'm all yours for the rest of the night."

9 couldn't help but chuckle at them. "Big plans, huh?"

Pi smiled back.

"Yeah... Big plans."


	8. Addition, Subtraction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was working on this chapter at a considerably emotionally challenging time for me. It was a bad anniversary... I sat in a car on my way to Virginia, and realized it had been one year since the thing that inspired me to write this series.
> 
> I know, I am normally snarky and silly in my story notes. But for this one, I have to be serious; because this little side story is important for you--the reader--to understand, if you intend to keep reading. 
> 
> So, here's a story all about how my life got twisted upside down:
> 
> In June of 2012, things were going Frieda's way. I had recently finished another 9 epic that had been well received, and was working on some offshoots for it. I was about to start my senior year in college in July, looking forward to getting my BS in Culinary Management in about a year's time. It was summer vacation--and it pretty much revolved around family, 9, a job that I loved, and apricot hookahs.
> 
> "Sacrificial" was, at that point, just a vague plot with some half-formed characters and no direction. It was basically an afterthought. It was intriguing; but at the time, it was too dark and romance-driven for my liking. I never planned to actually put it on paper, let alone publish it for the internet to see.
> 
> Then, around 2 am on June 22...... Let's jut say, some emotional upheaval happened, at the hands of a dumb, selfish boy. The way it often happens to nice, socially awkward young women like me. It effectively ruined the better part of my summer. I sometimes look back on it, and wonder how I put myself back together in time for school without the help of a therapist or a bottle.
> 
> During the first week of that school term, I made the very bold decision to write "Sacrificial", after all. The vague plot and half-formed characters suddenly had a shape, and I saw a clear direction for it. This hazy idea that was really just the product of a weird dream I could barely remember, turned out to be embodiment of my pain.
> 
> Writing "Sacrificial" became a great source of emotional therapy for me. I projected my own issues onto Pi, the innocent girl who got sidetracked by a mean boy; and I saw hope for recovery in 7, the success story, the prodigal who came back and tried again.
> 
> A year passed. The story progressed. My followers were supportive, funny, and good friends. This became some of my most well loved and better known work. I joined a campus ministry, made actual friends and a family, and got my life back together. I got a promotion at work. A sequel was conceived. A part 3 was conceived! I graduated. It was summer vacation again. It was June again........
> 
> As I sat in the back of a car, on my way to Virginia, on June 22, 2013, I happened to be working on this chapter. And I noticed the date for the first time that day and realized, oh........ THAT WAS TODAY???????
> 
> I paused to consider the douche that broke my heart. And--wait for it, you're not going to believe this--out of the blue, he texted me.
> 
> He had been in the Navy for some time, but had texted to say that he was on leave and back in town, and that he wanted to meet up and see how I was doing. He wanted his new girlfriend and I to meet; he hoped we could be friends. 
> 
> I sat back and realized, I don't hate this clown anymore. He was all the inspiration for Alpha, and I don't hate him anymore. In fact, I think I've grown up enough to forgive him, even though he refuses to believe he did anything worth apologizing for.
> 
> And that was an exciting thought. That means that by the time the saga is complete, Pi will be strong enough to forgive Alpha for everything he did to her. It's going to be one of the most beautiful moments in the whole thing, and I am personally excited to find where that point will be.
> 
> Just so we are clear, this was what was going on as I wrote most of this chapter. 'Tis a good chapter. 'Tis full of.... babies... 
> 
> On a completely unrelated and much happier note, the last part, where Dixie is being adorable, was inspired by our yearly trip to the beach. My youngest cousin was 1 and a half at the time, and her antics have been this inspiration for Dixie's character pretty much from the start. Everything Dixie does in this chapter is completely based on real life. ;)

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_Addition, Subtraction_

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Out of the frying pan, and into the fire. 5 went right back to building bodies. Now that his greatest priority was out of the way, he looked up to see that an impressive waiting list had piled up behind him. Half the children were ready for upgrades, and Peppermint seemed to be their most pressing client. 5 had never been happy with the way she looked; her noble, overly imaginitive conscious was clearly stuck inside a body it had long outgrown.

Peppermint had been on his mind for months, but he had been too busy to act on his suspicions. Finally, he found himself building her a suitable body. To Parsley's detailed specifications, of course. She was a sweet but exacting lady, and would have marched back with the Fifth clan to make sure the work was being done properly; she had threatened as much. But 2-her new constant companion-had laughed and insisted that such actions would be fully unessecary. All she need do was tell them what she wanted for her littlest charge, and they would take care of everything else.

As he worked away, 5 smiled to himself. Part of him got the impression that Peppermint's body wasn't the only excuse Parlsey used for wanting to join them for a season. She had found an excellent friend in his father; and outside of him and the other Elders, she didn't get much interaction with intelligent adults. Everyone tended to agree, most members of the Fourth clan were terrible. Rosemary gave her fellow Creators the willies; the Warriors didn't appreciate that Oregano cursed loudly and bragged about his imagined sexual conquests in front of the children, or that he didn't care; the twins were obnoxious and very rude, according to 3, who couldn't stand them; and Basil the Giant was a bully through and through, which made 8 particularly sad.

5 didn't think they were all bad, though. Tarragon was a nice guy, and a Nurturer, and he reminded 5 of himself; he thought they got along quite nicely. Sage could be a ditz sometimes, but she owned it and dealt with it-she was a Prophet, after all. Chamomile was a happy, energetic teenager, and he had never heard of her giving her class a moment's upset; in fact, 9 spoke very highly of her.

A mixed bag of tricks, that Fourth clan. He supposed that they simply had their own problems, just like any other family of nine-or ten-would. Maybe they just needed some time to reveal themselves better to everyone else. Surely, when they learned the details of their adventures, they would make more sense. Anyway, most of their unpleasant members had been trapped inside the First clan's talisman for several years. 5 would have been cranky, too, if it had been him.

He didn't let the thought of them bother him too much. He found plenty of problems of his own-all of them revolving around Pi yet again. It seemed like they had picked right back up the morning after her transfer, when she had woken up and found, to her dissapointment, things hadn't happened as suddenly as they had the first time. So great was her frustration, she had insisted on trying again every night that past week. Still, her womb remained empty. She seemed ready to tear her long, lovely hair out, she was so frustrated.

5 normally wouldn't have minded in the slightest; but her obsession had him a little worried. He was excited about finally starting their family as well, but her overbearing  _need_  to get pregnant again was unsettling. It was all she ever thought about now, and it made him wonder if she was forgetting him in the process. Also, it embarrassed him to admit it, but he was exhausted. He hadn't gotten much sleep that week, and it was noticeably affecting his work. Pi seemed fine, though; if she was tired at all, her determination was overshadowing it easily.

_I never would have guessed that something so pure could become such a bother. I'm not even sure if I want to do this again._

Whenever he didn't find himself collapsing into a nap on the workable, he tried his best to focus on his work-because there was an awful lot of it to be done. In fact, he had abandoned working on one body at a time, and began multitasking. He hadn't always been good at it, but practice seemed to be making perfect. Multi-colored skin appeared to be quite a fashion with the children he was working on; all of them had been born a solid color, but neither of them would be growing up that way. Peppermint wanted silver and green, and Hadassah's parents had specifically asked for gray and brown, a combination of themselves that they hadn't the skill for when she had been born. At the mention of this, Daniel had also gotten very excited, and decided that for his next upgrade, he wanted something plaid for his arms, to match all his patches.

"Don't forget, mister: plaid, plaid, plaid," the boy had commented excitedly.

5 had that note written down somewhere, because he was sure to forget, indeed. There was so much to be done already... To his relief, 9 had finally found the time to come and help him.

"Well, Dixie is officially done," he announced proudly. "I think I'll keep that from her until her birthday, though. She's so excited, you know. 5, are you alright? You seem tired."

"I am," he agreed with a sigh, biting down a yawn. "Don't you ever get tired? Being married, and all?"

"Frequently. Is something wrong?"

"Maybe... I guess you just get used to it. I'm not sure when Pi got so needy without me noticing. Just caught me off guard, I suppose."

"Hm. I think some other people have been unpleasantly surprised, as well."

"What do you mean? Have we been bothering someone?"

"No, not you. I don't like to think it of 4, but... I think she's up to something, and I don't like it."

"It's not like her to be up to things. What do you think it is?"

"I can't say for certain. All I know is that her twin is upset, and whenever he's upset, it usually has something to do with her. They've both been so unlike themselves."

"What will you do?"

"Part of me doesn't want to pry; but they're my kids, and that's no way to take care of them. I'm afraid they've gotten the impression that they're adults now and don't have to answer to anyone anymore."

"Which of course isn't true. They're far from grown up yet."

"I need to speak to them alone and get to the bottom of this. At the same time, though, I really don't know if I want to know the answer. I have a bad feeling that I won't like it... They're hiding something from me. What could they have to guard so badly?"

5 felt his stomach lurch, having an instinctively good idea what they might be hiding. What his brother had described sounded all too familiar. He wondered if 9 had considered the same thing and also felt sick to think something so low of his own kid. 4 wouldn't... She would never... Right?

When he returned to his room that evening, he found Pi sitting cross-legged on the floor, sewing herself a new dress. It was another excellent talent she had found to occupy her time; even though most of them didn't have to wear clothing except in the wintertime, 5 was very impressed and proud of her diligence. He would wear the clothing his wife made, whether he needed to or not-everything she had made was sturdy and beautiful. She never left anything plain or boring: everything had bright buttons, bows, and even embroidery. He wondered where she had learned to do that so well.

For a moment, she looked perfectly content with the world; like nothing was bothering her at all. She even have him a calm, happy smile.

"Have a good day, dear?" she asked, setting her project aside.

"A very good day," he agreed. He held his hand out to her, and she let him haul her up to her feet. "How was yours?"

"Oh, nice and quiet. I had stopped by the workroom to see you earlier, but... You were asleep."

"Well... I haven't slept well for a while," he said with a halfhearted chuckle. Pi's face fell.

"That's my fault, isn't it. I'm sorry."

"Don't be, don't be," he insisted, giving her a reassuring hug. "Look, honey, we don't have to rush into things like this. It'll just happen, like it did before, and everything's going to be fine this time."

"I know," she agreed, a knowingness in her voice. She looked up at him with a grin. "Everything is going to be wonderful."

5 smiled back a little nervously, glad that she was being so optimistic, but not sure what had caused the shift. "...What's going on with you?"

"5, I was sick  _all_ morning," she answered, her grin becoming reuful. "Just like last time. That was why I went to the workroom-I wasn't going to wait to tell you."

His heart skipped, and he gripped her shoulders. "It's happened? It's really happened?"

"Surprise!" she cheered. "We're having a baby!"

The announcement held all the joy and wonder of the first time, but none of the nothing to compete with his excitement, 5 found himself shaking a little.

"We're having a baby...!" he repeated. "Oh, this is really happening this time... I need to start another project in the morning..."

"5, stop, calm down," she insisted, not so calm herself. "If you start hyperventilating, I'm going to start hyperventilating, and we'll both be dead. Just stop."

"Does anyone else know?"

"Of course not! I had to tell you first. I think your sister's onto us though... We should tell people, right?"

"They would want to know. They've been waiting as much as we have. I... Kind of wouldn't mind keeping it to oureelves for just a while, though."

Pi smiled deviously. "Ooh, we're the only two people in the world who know yet. How long do you think we can keep a secret?"

"Well, we did pretty good last time we had to... I'm not going to last an hour on this one."

To that, Pi laughed. "Neither am I. I can't wait to tell them! But for right now, no one has to know. It's just between us."

"Literally."

"Aw, you're so funny!"

"You really mean that this time?"

"What do you mean? Wait... Are you talking about that night we were all drunk, and telling stupid jokes, and you tried to kiss me? You  _actually_ remember that?"

"You thought I wouldn't? You crushed all my hopes and dreams for about half an hour."

She began to giggle uncontrolably, her head falling against his shoulder. "You guys were  _so_ drunk," she laughed. "No, I can't believe you remember."

"You said I was funny because I made everyone mad, and it happened to appeal to part of you that wanted to kill us."

"Yes... She would have enjoyed that. But in real life, you're a funny, funny man all the time, not just when you're making 7 angry."

"That's not a feat, really... I want to talk about our baby instead-calmly, this time," he decided, and led his wife by the hand to sit in the bed. "Three months... That's going to be dangerously close to Dixie's birthday."

"Late December, early January," Pi agreed. "Another winter baby. Do we still have our original plans? Can we use them again?"

"You want to?"

"You were nearly done with the framework; it makes sense to finish it, now. You... You didn't destroy it, did you?"

"No, no-I had thought about it, but... It just seemed so final. I couldn't bring myself to go that far. It isn't finished yet, but I still have it."

"It's so fitting, isn't it? It's just like what Kislev said-we have two children now, one of them just isn't here with us. In a way... Our baby will be with us, anyway."

It was still so soon to be talking like that; 5 felt invisible tears filling his throat. Trying hold them back, he held Pi's hand and gave it a squeeze. "That's beautiful, honey. Yes... Yes, I'll do that, then, pick up where I left off. Hey, this is going to come together even faster than before. Everything is going to work out perfectly."

"We never got to discuss names before. What do you think? Numbers, or Greek letters? Or maybe both? I mean, I'd love to name a son after you, but I'm not sure how that would work..."

"Then, how about you think of boy names, and I'll think of girl names?"

Pi's eyes suddenly went wide. "5, I just realized-twins run in your family, and triplets run in mine. What if this is more than one baby? How do we know? What if we're having three children and only have one body? What are we going to do?"

"We're not going to panic, is the first thing we're going to do," 5 answered gently, taking her face in his hands and focusing her gaze on his. "We will figure that out, and when we do, you know what's happening next? I'm sitting down and making more bodies. It  _can_ be done. And the chances should be relatively low-existant, but low. There is absolutely no reason we should be worried about that."

Pi sighed and nodded her head, reassured. "Alright... We never got as far as choosing colors, either. What do you think?"

That was a decidedly more pleasant topic. 5 sat back and thought for a moment. "An even mix of both our clans, I should think. But more of yours. You're all so colorful and bright; we aren't."

Pi laughed softly. "Kappa was bright orange. His soul was as firey as his skin. I miss him..."

"Orange, pink, purple, and green. A rainbow of possibilities."

"And black, 5. There's a fair share of black in my family."

"...Alpha was pitch black, from head to toe. Pi, let's pick a different color."

"My father is mostly black, and so is my mother. In truth, I've always liked the color. It's the color of the arms that always held me so safe when I was afraid."

"The color of darkness? Of mourning? Of all the colors we can choose, that's the one you want?"

"The color of mourning is fitting, then, isn't it?" she pointed out, caressing his face. "Black for our painful past, against... Burlap? For our bright future?"

"Huh... I do like that. That's pretty easy, too."

"I can do the stitching, if you'd like. We'll do this together."

"You are very good at it. You're probably better than I am."

"Don't be silly," she said, holding up her wrists to show off the nearly invisible seams running up the underside of her arms. "There's more skill and more love in this than I could have given."

He lowered his head against hers. "I would love to have your help. It would be an honor."

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There was a definite shift in mood around the library. It was a feeling of anticipation, and no small amount of triumph. Everything was going so extremely nicely. Even with the chill of autumn seeping into the building, promising the freeze of winter snow, there was so much to look forward to. January would see a lot of changes: one child growing up, and another being born. And another long, strange, miraculous year would be over. Who knew what adventures the coming year would hold.

It was now November, and every morning the Fifth clan woke to find thick frosts covering the ground. Winter was coming hard and fast, and there were plenty of things left to be done. 9 had gotten organized and drawn up lists and plans of all the things that had to be dine before it snowed again; he hadn't realized how long those lists would get, or how many there would be. It had seemed much simpler last year, when they had played their first snowy winter by ear.

This year, they also had a gathering to journey to-admittedly a monkey wrench in 9's otherwise perfect plans. It was only a week away, now; it hadn't quite been three months since the last one, but everyone had agreed to have it done before any snow fell. There were a number of other reasons 9 wished they didn't have to go. He didn't want to trek an hour in the bitter cold with Dixie, and the trip wasn't particularly fair to Pi, either, even if she complained of being furiously hot all the time.

At least it would only be for three days. It wasn't a lot of time for anyone to get into a lot of trouble. That evening, nearly everyone had gathered in the common room. All told, it was a quiet, pleasant evening. Though as 9 looked around at his very charming family, it was impossible not to notice the void where the twins should have been. They hadn't shown up yet, and neither had 6. He wondered where they could be, and what could be keeping them. Their absence was visibly distressing others as well: Dixie was toddling listlessly around the common room, calling for her big brover and big sissy; and 8 was left sitting all by himself, looking very bored, in the corner he normally shared with his own brother.

Another hour passed, and they still hadn't come out. 9 was thinking about getting up to go look for them... When finally, 6 slowly stuck his head in the common room door, earning an overly relieved greeting from the rest of the clan that made him jump back a bit.

"Where on earth have you been?"

"We've missed you."

"I was lonely."

"Where are the kids? Aren't they with you?"

"Come on inside and sit down."

6 remained silent as everyone spoke to him at the same time, his eyes shifting around nervously. Maybe it was just the noise level and the unexpected, uninvited onslaught of attention, but he seemed very uncomfortable. After a moment, the noise died down and 6 found the nerve to speak at last-mostly by pointing at 9 and continuing to act strangely.

"Come with me," he said quietly. "...Please?"

He must have seen a vision. 9 couldn't imagine why his brother would want to see him alone, and after dissapearing for a reasonable length of time. He excused himself and walked out into the dark hallway.

"Alright, what's going on?" he asked with a smile, always willing to hear anything 6 had to say. In response, the smaller man shifted his eyes around, gripping his key and tapping his fingers nervously against it.

"Um... This way," he said, beckoning him further into the darkness, out of earshot of the rest of the family.

Not exactly out of character; 6 never liked other people hearing his visions before 9 had. No one else ever listened or tried hard to understand them. Still, he seemed unusually nervous tonight.

"Where are the twins?" 9 asked casually, trying to calm his little brother with friendly small talk.

"Oh... They'll be along... I think... Maybe..."

"I something wrong? Are they alright? Has something happened?"

6 winced visibly, and actually looked like he might start to cry; but he didn't answer. All of a sudden, 9 was concerned. Maybe a troubling vision wasn't the problem this evening. Maybe it was something more personal, between him and the twins.

"Did something happen with you and 4?" he guessed. "Did you, I don't know... You didn't just break up, did you?"

"No, no," 6 insisted right away, as if the very idea was appalling and absurd. That was an admitted relief-their relationship had been a steady and solid one for a long time. The rift it might have caused after being ended would have been painful for the whole family.

They stopped far away from the common room, well into the dark, chilly library where the crisp, clear light of the waning moon lit their way. Finally, 6 took a deep breath and slowly began to choose his words.

"I need to ask you... 4 has no real father, but... She has always had you. I must ask you."

"For what?"

"...Blessing. I'd like to marry her."

9's surorise must have shown furiously on his face, because 6 looked frightened and he began babbling on with a little more confidence.

"It should be done now," he insisted. "This is the time. It's very soon, but it must be done now-soon, before we leave. Not in front of... All the others. Just us."

9 paused and considered the shocking request. Certainly, he had hoped to see his brother and adopted dauguter married some day, but wasn't this a little soon? 4 wasn't fully grown yet; and frankly, he wondered sometimes if 6 was, either. It was also no secret that 6 had never seen the practicallity of waiting to be married, if they were in love and suited each other so well; but it was just like him to not understand accepted social norms. What could have convinced 4 to feel the same?

Unless... Oh boy, he had suspected for a long time, even if the twins had insisted time and time again that nothing untoward was going on behind the scenes. 9 looked his brother over carefully, marking how his hands were shaking, and the mild fear behind his googley eyes. He planted his fists on his hips and sighed sadly.

"She's pregnant, isn't she."

6 looked down at the floor and didn't answer. That silence was answer enough.

"...Alright, then," he sighed, trying not to let his overwhelming dissapointment take first priority. Clearly, there was more work to be done. If there was another new life somewhere in the mix, its care and safety had to come first and foremost.

"Follow me," he said, trying to keep his voice neutral and non-threatening. He led 6 in silence to the workroom and lit a candle, locating a blank sheet of paper and some ink to take notes on.

"I need to know a few things, first off," he explained, sitting down to write. "When exactly did you find out? How long has it been?"

"This morning," 6 answered quietly, mostly to the floor.

"Thank goodness for the small things," 9 mumbled, jotting it down. "That should put the due date sometime in mid-February. Between a Prophet and the Nurturer she  _obviously_ is... There are a couple of things we should plan for. Is there anything you can tell me at all, about what I should do with this body?"

6 shook his head, but didn't look up.

"6, look at me."

He didn't make any move to look up, and 9 supposed he didn't blame him. What he had done was uncalled for, and he knew it.

"Look at me," he repeated, a little more commanding this time, and he hoped not too forceful. 6 slowly raised his head, just until his gaze met his brother's. He was so ashamed of himself. This moment was no place for anger or harsh words-now was the moment for compassion.

"Listen, I'm not going to let feelings get in the way of this. If you're having a baby, I want to make sure it has a body ready for it. I'm not as much worried that it won't have a home, or parents who love it. I think you have that decided, already."

"...You're not angry?"

"Maybe, a little. I'm not exactly pleased with you, either. This is serious. I might have expected this from someone out of the Fourth clan, but... I expected a lot more from both of you. I'm really dissapointed."

6 shivered and looked away, gripping his key all the tighter. Maybe those words had been a little too harsh for the moment, even if they had been the truth. There were plenty of other truths that still had to be addressed. He got back up and came stand beside his brother.

"You are right, though. This wedding can't happen soon enough."

6 lsnapped his head back up, surprised. "You would let us?"

"I don't have much of a choice now, do I? I'm glad you understand the severity of what you've done, and I admire that you're fixing it. That's... That's what a good husband does. My question is if 4 understands. She does, doesn't she?"

"She does... I think. She agrees. I asked her. She said yes."

"Where is she? I'd like to speak with her."

"Don't be angry with her," 6 begged, looking frightened. "It was my fault. I wasn't brave. I didn't keep her safe. Be angry with me, but leave her alone. Please."

9 couldn't help a sad smile. The fact that he was willing to take the blame all by himself was charming and adorable.

"You don't have to do that. We both know this wasn't your idea, or your fault to bear alone. ...I suppose 3 knows?"

"Only him, and us."

"I can't imagine he's very thrilled."

To this, 6 sniffled pathetically. "He  _hates_ me..."

"Well, I don't," 9 answered gently, giving his brother a hug. "While I'm not happy about this, I'm proud of what you're doing to make this right."

"It is what you would do. Make things right again."

This time, 9's smile was a little happier. "We all make mistakes. I've made many, myself. If your greatest mistake was ever bringing a new life into the world, I'll count that as a success. I think you'll be a good father."

"...Really?"

"Yes, I do. And if you're trying to make things right, I'm proud to say I can have a part in it."

"She needs to know this."

"I know, she does. Why don't we go over there and see her, and get some wedding plans in order? In the meantime, I don't think anyone else needs to know these details. Not until its over."

"Maybe  _ever_."

"When it's over, maybe you should talk to 5. Amazingly, I think he can help you."

6 had nothing to say about that odd bit of advice, so they walked to the globe in what was decidedly companionable silence. When they walked into the globe, all the candles were lit, and 3 was plainly seen stalking angrily in front of the scrapbook. He looked ready to hit someone, not in a good mood for talking to. Alas, he had to be spoken to about this.

"Hello, son," 9 greeted as neutrally as he could. 3 looked up with cold fury on his face, especially to see 6 again.

_"She's upstairs, I guess. But I'm not talking to either of them. I told them this would happen! You should have listened to me, you stuoid idiot!"_

"3, that's enough. Go to your room if you're going to be like this, but I have things to do."

Less than willing to be pleasant, 3 stalked off in a huff, still leering violently at 6.

Leaving 3 to his thoughts, 9 continued on to 4' s room, with 6 still shuddering behind him. Behind the curtain that covered the doorway, he could very plainly hear her sobbing miserably. He eased the curtain aside and peered in, finding her sitting doubled over on the edge of the bed, crying into her hands.

"4, can I come in?"

4 looked up almost painfully. Then, unable to contain herself, she jumped up and ran into his arms.

_"Dad, I'm so sorry!"_ she wailed silently.  _"I'm_ _so_ _sorry!"_

"Sweetie, sweetie, calm down," he said gently, holding her close. "Everything's going to be okay."

_"No, it isn't! I messed everything up! 3 was right-I'm nothing but a stupid, selfish whore who doesn't know how to think!"_

"He said that to you? That's far from the truth."

_"No, he's right, and he's right to hate me so much. I let him down... Dad, don't you hate me?"_

"Absolutely not. I just need to know that you're okay. Are you alright?"

_"I... I think so... But my stomach hurts, and I'm scared. Where's 6?"_

Hearing his name, 6 came forward with a faint, comforting smile. Seeing him, she darted into his waiting arms and let him rock her slowly. There, at least, she seemed to know that she wasn't alone, and that she was safe.

While they shared that silent, tender moment, 9 looked around the room. All of 6's few posessions had been moved into it, and many of his drawings wallpapered the walls; a few of them had even been deemed worthy enough to be framed. It seemed they had sharred this room for a long time.

_I wish they could have just told me the truth when I asked. I should have known something was still going on, even when they insisted time and again that everything was fine. I can keep a secret as well as the next guy, but... They lied to me. They lied to all of us._

He turned back to the couple, still clinging to each other in the doorway, and sighed. "We should go sit down and talk about this wedding of yours. If we're going to have it before we leave next week, we have a lot to get in order."

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It had been nearly an hour, and 9 still hadn't returned. 7 was still waiting patiently for him, of course; but she had happily lost track of how long it had been, because she was passing the time by talking with her family and watching her baby playing. Dixie had been upset enough that her brother and sister had never shown up; when her father vanished while she hadn't been paying attention, she had become even more distressed. He hadn't even said goodbye! So everyone had taken turns trying to engage and distract her. It seemed to be working, because she had calmed down and was being much more social now. The number of adorable things she said kept growing and growing.

She especially seemed to like engaging 1, because he was so serious and he allowed his buttons to be easily punched. Dixie had recently dubbed him her papi, though no one was sure where she had gotten the idea, and 1 wasn't sure yet how he felt about it. He complained that the title was undignified somehow. However, he had plenty of opportunities to get used to it-Dixie loved talking to him.

On this particular evening, she grabbed his left hand in both of hers, noticing for the first time that his left hand was clearly in better condition than his right. "Uh-oh, this needs a check up," she informed him. It was her new favorite excuse for running off with other people's things, and for wandering into the forbidden workroom unsupervised. In this instance, though, she seemed genuinely concerned.

"Battle scars, child," he answered with a vague smile, shooing her off to bother someone else. "It would take more than a mere check up to fix that."

She toddled off to where 2 sat in the middle of the room, fixing a new part for the generator. She picked up a wrench that was too heavy for her to carry, and tried to drag it away.

"This needs a check up, daddad," she said over her shoulder. Before she got very far, 2 scopped her up in one arm and dropped her into his lap, taking the wrench from her hands.

"How very thoughtful of you, blessed," he said kindly, "but I'm afraid I need that. Here, why don't you play with this, instead?"

He picked a wingnut out of his toolbox and handed it to her, showing her how to stick it on the tip of her finger like a finger puppet. She spun it around her finger several times, her eyes wide with rapt fascination.

"This a bird!" she said, waving it around in the air as if it were flying, earning an amused laugh from everyone present. "Daddad, what's a bird say?"

"Oh, I believe they chirp, or tweet. And I believe the babies peep."

"Peep!"

"Yes, just like that."

"Peep, peep, peep," Dixie squealed, still waving the wingnut around. "Its a baby, like me!"

"My goodness, what an imaginitive little girl you are. You've got your daddy's imagination, and your mommy's big, pretty eyes."

Dixie looked up at him as if he might be retarded. "No, I got Dixie eyes," she corrected. The confusion suddenly vanished from her face, replaced with the look of having a great idea-a face she had definitely inherited from her father. She hopped out of 2's lap and ran to her mother, who bent over to pick up her baby.

"I know that look, little love. What are you up to?"

Dixie didn't stop to be picked up. Instead, she reached up and gently pressed her burlap hands against 7's glass eyes, making her jump in surprise. Dixie pulled her hands away, and then pressed them to her own eyes, squealing with laughter.

"Now I got mommy eyes!" she cheered, sort of hopping up and down from excitememt. Eager to continue her newest game, she went back to 2.

"Daddad, I get you eyes."

He understandingly let her grab his eyes breifly. She began laughing again as she pressed her hands back to her eyes.

"Now I got daddad eyes! I daddad, and that  _mine_ wrench."

"Aha. Clever, but no, I'm still daddad, and you're still my Dixie," he answered, leaning forward and sniping a kiss on her nose. She covered her face shyly and began to giggle.

"Teeheehee, daddad," she laughed, and looked around the room, deciding whose eyes to borrow next. She chose 5, who was sitting on the floor nearby, working on the beginnings of his own baby's eyes.

"Fi, I coming get you eyes," she warned in a sing-song voice as she approached him. He laughed ruefully as he set his work aside.

"I'm afriad I only have one to give you," he pointed out, but she didn't seem to mind that. As she gently grabbed his eye, she laid her hand flat against his eye patch, petting the soft leather.

"This soft," she commented, awestruck. "I can have this?"

"I hope not," he answered. "I like your face just the way it is."

When she pulled her hands away and pressed them to her eyes again, she left her right hand over her eye and grinned with particular delight.

"Now I Fi, I got one eye!" she cheered, turning around to show everyone.

"Aw, look at you," Pi commented, "you're the most adorable little cyclops I've ever seen!"

"Um, no, I not one those. I Fi, Pi, I got one eye."

"...Yes, you do, sweetie."

Dixie tried to turn back around, but having only one eye to see by seemed to be making her dizzy. 5 caught her as she stumbled and nearly fell over.

"Ooooooh," she cooed, gazing around with her right eye still hidden behind her hand. "This weird..."

"Yeah, having only one eye is kind of hard. Well, at first, anyway. You get used to it, eventually."

Tired of that impairmemt, Dixie uncovered her eye and went back to 1.

"Papi, I coming get you eyes!"

1 jumped to his feet, displeased to have been chosen. "I don't think so, child. Go get someome else."

"No! I go get  _you_!"

Flabbergasted, he sidestepped out of her reach-only for her to squeal happily and run after him. He continued walking briskly around the room to try and get away, but she continued chasing him, delighted by a new game.

"Stop this at once!"

"I go get you, papi, I go get you!"

"This is ridiculous!"

"I go get you!"

"7, do something about this!"

She couldn't bring herself to get up and do anything about the heart meltingly adorable scene before her. Everyone was enjoying it way too much. Until, after this had gone on a minute or two, Pi leaned over to whisper in her ear.

"Where is that husband of yours? He would die, if he knew what he's missing!"

Oh... 7 had almost forgotten. How long had it been since 9 had left, anyway? It could have been hours, if it had been half of one-she had been enjoying herself so well, she had no idea of how much time had actuallly passed.

"Maybe I should go look for him," she thought, "but then, that's how our better adventures seem to begin."

"With people being where they shouldn't be?"

"Exactly. How long has it been?"

"Oh... A while. I'm not sure when he left in the first place."

The two mother exchanged a worried look, while everyone else went on laughing (or shouting unhappily) in the background. At least they weren't concerned.

Just as 7 was beginning to lose her battle to stay put, she very clearly heard footsteps in the hallway. No one else seemed aware of it yet; but she stood up and peered out the door, into the darkness. She was glad to see it was just her 9, finally returned... But he had walked right past the common room, toward their bedroom, looking suddenly exhausted.

That was odd. What on earth had 6 said to him? Seeing as everyone else was distracted and hadn't noticed, she finally ended Dixie's game of tag by snatching her up as she came around the room.

"Mommy, no!" she squealed. "I go get papi!"

"And you will," 7 promised, kissing her baby on the head. "I just have to step out for a minute, okay? I'll be right back."

"No, mommy, stay. Watch me runnin' rounda place!"

"I'll only be a minute, I promise. You just stay here, and keep playing with your papi, okay?"

"Oh... Okay," Dixie sighed sadly as she was set back on her feet. The dissapointment was gone in a flash, as she turned her attention back to 1 and ran after him once more.

"No! I object to this!" he yelled after 7 as she walled away.

"Oh grow up," she answered with a degilish grin. "She just wants to play with you. Its not her fault you don't know how."

When she walked into the bedroom, the light was off and it was pitch black; but she could just make out the shape of her husband, sprawled on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. Wondering what could have upset him, she wordlessly walked to the lightbulb fixed to the wall and twisted it on so that the room was illuminated. They both winced slightly as the sudden light stung their eyes, and she sat down beside him.

"Hey," she said in a gentle voice, taking his hand in hers. "What happened?"

"Um... You're going to flip for this one."

"How so? Are we in danger? What did he say to you?"

"They're getting married."

"...Excuse me?"

"6 asked 4 to marry him today, and she said yes. He came to ask for my blessing, because he decided it was the right thing to do. And... I also said yes."

7 was dumbfounded. A long list of reasons occured to her explaining that this was an unwise idea. She had thought 4 felt the same. What could have changed her mind? And what could have convinced 9 to agree?

"...Why?" she finally asked.

"They decided together that... It was just time. You know, why not?"

"Because they're just kids! Marriage isn't for children-sometimes, I wonder if its too much for adults. Are you really just going to hand it over to them like this?"

"Honey, listen to me," he interrupted, sitting up and giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. "I know it sounds crazy, but they have a better handle on this than it sounds like. This was something they decided on together. And, at any rate, they're good for each other. They won't fail together, anymore than we will."

"That's a lot of credit you're giving them. Are you sure?"

"Trust me."

That felt like an enormous leap of faith. However, when she took a moment to think it over critically... Yes, she supposed he was right. There was no reasin she should really be upset-her little brother and the child she had raised were getting married. The suddenness was still a bit alarming; but it was more cause to be excited than worried or angry or anything else. As she processed this, she slowly nodded her head.

"...Alright, then. Is there a date?"

9 laughed nervously. "Its, um, three days from now."

"What? That's barely any time to make any plans! Why so sudden with all this? We took nearly two months putting things in order."

"They want it small and simple; and they want it done before the gathering, so it will be done and over by the time we get there."

"That's strange."

"Yeah, but its them. They've always done things a little differently."

"I suppose... I just wish they'd given us a little more time. This is  _so_ sudden. Can it not wait until we get back?"

"No, they want to stand in front of our whole race as a married couple."

"But they don't want to married in front of them."

"6 would die from the attention, and 4 isn't fond of it either. Better to just do it the way they want it."

7 sighed sadly and looked down at the bedspread-the one 3 and 4 had made for her own wedding. "4 insisted on fussing over every detail of my wedding. It would have taken half the time, if she hadn't insisted on everything being just so; but thanks to her constant fussing, getting in my way, drilling me with etiquette I didn't care about, it was one of the most beautiful moments of my life. I... Was looking forward to doing the same for her, for her wedding day."

"I think there were a lot of things we were all looking forward to that will change. That doesn't mean it has to change for the worst. We'll make the best of it, like we always do. I mean, its a wedding-we don't have to work that hard to make the best of a wedding, now do we?"

"No, we don't," she agreed. "I'm just a little surprised, is all. And the others will be, as well. What will we say? The same thing you just told me?"

9 shrugged. "What else needs to be said?"

"True. So... They're getting married. Its not that hard to say."

"No, its not. Let's go do that, while they're all in one place."

"Your little girl it going to be thrilled to see you, you know," 7 commented as they walked out of their room. "You didn't say goodbye."

"Oh, I didn't, did I. I'll be in for it, then..."


	9. Wintertide

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christian Stitchpunks. They are everywhere. I had been looking very much forward to introducing the Second Clan better, because they do speak openly and inoffensively about Jesus, and it attracts a lot of attention. Some of it is good *coughFifthClancough*, some of it is bad *coughFourthClancough*, and some of them just don't know what to make of it. 
> 
> But yes: there is a Chrstian clan; a Jewish clan; a pantheistic clan; an atheist clan; and a clan who throws their hands up in the air sometimes, sayin' AAAAAYO, WE DUNOOO-OO...
> 
> Also, more of Pi is fantastic storyteller. ;)

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_Wintertide_

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9 wasn't thrilled about traveling to the gathering this time, and he had made no bones about it. This was mostly because Pi was already a month and a half pregnant, though she wished dearly that he would stop worrying about her. She felt fine, mostly. As well as she supposed she could, with a strong, healthy baby growing in her belly. She was already getting pretty big, and the weight was admittedly unexpected. At least the extra presence kept her nice and warm in the chilliness of mid-November.

She couldn't mind the heat, the extra weight, or anything else that came with it in the slightest. It was a succession of signs that her new womb was working, that it would carry her child safely to term. Whatever fears her brother had for her were completely unnecessary. She also felt safe, and something else she had rarely felt before. It had taken her a few days to realize it was... Confidence. She had never been particularly self-confident before. But these days—living in a fresh new body, preparing for the birth of a child, safe and secure with a family that loved her—she found that feeling confidence was becoming a normal thing. It was like she had absorbed it from just living with them, adopting it for herself as she had adopted their other ways. Ways such as creating things she loved for the sheer fun of it, and adjusting her speech to avoid the many homophones for 2's multipurposeful name.

9 still didn't like it, and many of them seemed to agree, but they marched off in the cold November morning to city hall as planned. The week that had preceded their journey had been an eventful one, and was sure to generate a lot of conversation when they arrived. The wedding had been a surprise—4 and 6 had insisted on being married, so quickly, quietly and unceremoniously that there had been little time to prepare for it. A far cry from her own wedding, which had been a loud, public, joyous affair that she had had a blast planning for. Now it was over and done, as suddenly as it had happened, and the happy new couple seemed to be carrying on as normal, as if nothing had changed. She and 5 had agreed in private, there had to be more to that sudden marriage than met the eye.

Then there were the bodies. Two had been completed since the last gathering, and the boys were carrying them forth as carefully and obscurely as they could. Peppermint needed her upgrade as soon as possible, and they intended to make it happen before the day was even done. Hadassah's body had also been finished, though she wasn't quite ready for a full upgrade just yet. Her new vessel would be traveling back with the Third Clan, where the rite would be done when the child was ready.

So there was a lot of extra weight being carried to city hall. However, it was a joyous load to carry. So many new possibilities...

Pi mozied along at the back of their party, just happy to observe her family as they traveled. The rest of them carried on conversations to pass the time, and occasionally 7 had to dart after Dixie as the child veered off to touch sharp, pointy things sticking out of the rubble.

_I suppose that will be me, shortly..._

After a bit, she found that 4 had slowed her pace to walk beside her, somewhat out of everyone else's earshot or attention. The younger girl ventured a smile that seemed a little nervous.

_"So, you're not cold at all? You're not even wearing a cloak or jacket or anything."_

"No, I'm okay. The soul keeps me warm enough. How's your jacket, though?"

_"Oh, I love it! Thank you for it."_

"Consider it a wedding present," Pi answered happily, looking over her niece with a feeling of pride. She had taken the time to make everyone some kind of jacket for the winter months-say for 9, who was more than glad to wear the sturdy green cloak his own wife had made for him. 4 was dressed in a robe of black, a color that would attract the light of the sun to keep her small frame warm. It wasn't a color the girl would have chosen for herself, but it became her well and she looked very pretty in it.

 _"Everyone was so surprised,"_ 4 commented vaguely.  _"I guess I can't blame them, though. Maybe it should have happened sooner."_

"It should have happened later," Pi corrected her, not pretending to not approve. "I mean, you're still a child. Don't you think you should have waited?"

 _"Maybe... I think 6 was right all along. I think there just stopped being a reason for waiting. Anyway, you didn't seem to have a problem with it when you were married,"_ 4 pointed out with a smirk.

"Well, that was... Different. It was very different."

4 sighed kind of sadly.  _"6 was right about that, as well. We do use that excuse for everything..."_

"Hm... Could it be, your situation is as exactly as 'different' as my own?"

_"I don't understand."_

Pi shook her head and gave a short, rueful laugh. "You can hide this pretty well from the rest of them, because they don't understand. But I think I know what's going on, here. You're having a baby, aren't you?"

4 looked at her in horror, mortified that someone else had guessed so easily. She nearly tripped over her own feet. To still her fear, Pi laid a sympathetic hand in her niece's shoulder.

"It's alright. I get it. Hard as it may be to believe, there was more to my wedding than met the eye, as well."

If it was possible, 4 looked a little more horrified than before.  _"Then... You... And my uncle...?!"_

"Yep. That escalated a little faster than we had expected. It was easy enough to pass off-after all we had been through, it wasn't like we  _weren't_  getting married. We would have been married before that gathering in any case. Still... It felt like we had done something terrible."

 _"Something unforgivable,"_ 4 added, wrapping her arms around herself.  _"We did the right thing—the... Honorable thing, right?"_

"At the end of the day, yes. I think you did. And I think you and 6 will be great parents. It's not like you won't love your child, after all."

 _"I love him already,"_ she answered with a hopeful smile.

"Him?"

4's smile broadened.  _"6 says we're having a boy. He felt it."_

"Huh. My sister felt my first baby... I wonder if she knew. I wonder if I could bear to know."

_"Pi, do you think that could happen to me? It's barely even been a week. There's still so much time between now and February. What if something goes wrong?"_

"4, you are a strong, smart girl, and you will take excellent care of your child's soul. Your dad built this body for you, and I refuse to think he would damage it on purpose like that, the way my creator damaged mine. That won't happen to you."

_"What about Kislev? She was made to be a mother, and she lost her baby anyway. I'm... I'm a little scared."_

"You shouldn't be. What you should be is excited, and happy. You're having a baby, with a man who loves you, who will love that baby just as much as you do. He'll be born into a safe, warm, happy home, to a family who wants him. There's no reason to be scared."

4 nodded her head, reassured, and resumed her hopeful smile.  _"Dad's already working on a body, you know. He has some fabric that's light blue, with yellow pinstripes. We liked it for the arms and legs. Oh! And he'll be a red-head, like your sister."_

"Sounds adorable. It's nice that you can plan for that. 5 and I can't, exactly."

_"6 could find out, if you'd like. He'd be happy to, if you ask him."_

"That's alright. We want the surprise. Anyway, he has bigger things to think about; we'll leave him be."

_"Pi, thank you for understanding. I didn't think there was anybody who would. I didn't think there was anybody I could even talk to about it. I sure don't want to talk to mama about it... Oh, she'd kill me. I feel like I'm lucky dad didn't. And we still have to tell people, sometime. Soon. It would look really suspicious if he was born a month early, perfectly normal and fine. We'll... Just let everyone think we got as lucky on our first try as you did. No one else has to know... Right?"_

"No one has to know. There are only a few people who know why losing my baby was really so painful... For being so obvious, hiding big things like that is remarkably easy."

_"I don't want to hurt you, Pi. You're my aunt. You're having my little cousin. Is this, you know, still hard to talk about? We can talk about something else."_

"Oh, it gets a little easier every day I get up and move forward. I feel like, if people are concerned or afraid, they should know the truth. Because of the pain I've experienced, I can help people with their own pains. That's healing to me."

_"That's so brave! You're really not that much different from us."_

"No... I guess not."

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That evening, it was fittingly clear and quiet for the rite going outside the cavernous ruins of city hall. The moon had risen and the stars were sparkling all the clearer for the cold. There wasn't even a cloud in the sky, to hide the brilliant moon and starlight. It was a good night for a mystical ritual.

9 had hoped to be ready for it by sunset, but that hadn't happened. The Fourth Clan had arrived late, due to an unexpected technicality of their own. To everyone's astonishment, Rosemary was also with child—for nearly two months now. She had even had the nerve to demand someone make her child a body, because it didn't have one yet.

"You people are the genius body-builders," she had sneered in 9's face. "So just do it, already! How hard can it be?"

9 had been very irritated since then, and nobody blamed him. Parsley hadn't been in the best mood either—and again, nobody blamed her. Glad to be out of the way, the two of them had set out right at sunset to build a bonfire for Peppermint's transferal. They had returned briefly to collect her, and then left again before anybody really noticed their coming and going.

That left 2 by himself for the moment. A pity. He had been looking forward to more sparkling conversation with his friend. Never to be brought down for long though, he had sought out a new friend. As he was the only elderly gentleman in his class, he was always eager to make the acquaintance of the other men his age. He was always eager to make new friends, in general. He was very good at it.

This evening, he decided to seek out the Second Clan. He didn't know any of them particularly well, and was determined to fix that at this gathering. So, in his wanderings around, he was very pleased to bump into their Elder, Peter—who looked so remarkably like 1, it was a little funny. They could have passed as brothers. 2 found it so amusing, he couldn't help laughing a bit.

"Something amusing?" Peter asked good naturedly. "I am always in the mood for a good joke, if you have one about you."

"A good joke, indeed," 2 answered, embarrassed for being so rude. "I nearly mistook you for my brother."

To his relief, Peter laughed as well. "I hear that a lot. It is amusing, is it not? Local legend has it, we share the same blueprint. I'm afraid our creator wasn't quite as imaginative as others, nor as willing," he explained sort of sadly.

"You might have fooled me. You're a colorful lot, yourselves, and quite clever I understand."

"I had hoped we might speak sometime," Peter continued, putting his hand on 2's shoulder as they began to walk. "Anybody that 1 speaks so tersely of must be a breath of fresh air. You vex him so; but in secret, he admires you."

"He is certainly a better brother than he once was, that much is true."

"And a better grandfather than anybody might have guessed. He is quite fond of your granddaughter, that he makes no attempt to hide."

"I don't know if he can help himself. Have you even seen how she runs about, speaking so clearly and doing things, all by her little self? Oh, bless my soul, it's hard to believe it's been nearly a year."

"The Lord must certainly be with that child. She shines with His blessing. So full of promise, so full of life. He would smile on her."

"Oh yes, your God... 1 has explained the concept in short terms, as best he could. I'm afraid we don't really understand. I've tried and tried on my own, but I'm still missing so many pieces of that puzzle."

"There are many pieces we are still missing, ourselves. They didn't leave us much to help us figure it out. However, if you wish to know, I will tell you. For the time being, I seem to be the lone leader of Christendom—explaining is my job, my duty, and my pleasure."

"No strings attached, is it? I've heard terrible things..."

"Radicals, fearful of that which is different, with no love or compassion in their hearts. Some things people have done in the name of God are unforgivable. Blasphemous, I should say. If there is anything my clan can learn from them, it is how  _not_  to treat others."

"I see. That is very different from the things I've heard. Then you won't mind me asking a few questions? I am extremely curious."

"Ask away, and I shall answer as best I can."

"Tell me about this God. Why should He be here, of all places?"

"I could quote you such flowery, poetic scripture from memory, though I shall give you the shorter version of it. Centuries ago, there were prophecies made by human men-visions from God, to bring comfort to His struggling, hopeless people—that one day, a mighty savior would come. This savior would lead His people out of bondage and suffering, into the very light of God Himself. He would be the greatest king the world would ever know, a ruler of all nations and peoples, wise and wonderful counselor to be trusted by all. His own son."

"All of that?"

"And to be much more than that. And then, one night, a child was born. But He was no king these people had planned for—born to a poor peasant girl, in a dark stable, surrounded only by shepherds. Yet there He was. He had come—the face of God, light of a world in darkness, born into the fragile shape of a human child."

"This was the king they were promised?" 2 marveled. "The most powerful being in the world... All that power, shaped into something as small as a baby... Wouldn't that have uncomfortable? "

Peter laughed again. "I am certain it must have been. But that didn't matter to Him. More importantly than coming full of power, He came to earth full of light. Full of grace. Full of love."

"Love for these people? That is why He would do this?"

"Would you not, for your children?"

"Well... What is a little discomfort, for your beloved children?"

"Now multiply a sacrifice like that ten thousand fold or more."

2 grimaced. It had been a long time since anyone had spoken of sacrifice; it had come to mean something very different for everyone who had been touched by Alpha's darkness in the past. Also, imagining a pain that immense... He couldn't begin to comprehend it. Trying made his stomach clench. Seeing his discomfort, Peter sighed and shook his head.

"There were other prophecies surrounding this savior," he continued, as if a great weight had suddenly descended on him. "Prophecies of darkness, betrayal, humiliation... Death."

"Death? A God that powerful would allow himself to die?"

"At the hands of the very people He had come to save. They killed Him, in the cruelest and most humiliating way they knew how. And still, He loved them unto death. He never stopped loving them-whether they were dead, living, or not yet born, He never gave them up. He was able to forego temptation, sin, and His own comfort, for the sake of all people, in all places, in all times, because of love."

"My, my... I knew that love could work miracles out of thin air; but I've never heard of a marvel like that."

"He was God incarnate. Vast and timeless, with neither beginning nor end. I think He had the capacity which we lack, ourselves. That doesn't mean it was easy. He had made Himself human. He felt the sting as rawly as any other man would have, and more. As He died, He was willing to take on all the sins of man—whether they had been committed in the past, or yet to be. We have all done wrongly, in our lives; we all have our own sins and our own guilt to bear. Can you imagine having to bear that, along with the sins of someone else? Along with the hundreds and thousands of sins of a world in darkness?"

2 had to stop for a moment, to let that enormous idea sink in.

"...So that we wouldn't have to bear it ourselves?"

"That we might be freed from that guilt. That we might be clean, to see the face of God as we once did before the fall. If there is one thing that God cannot capacitate, it is the presence of sin. We cannot go before Him so stained. In the past, rites of blood sacrifice were needed to wipe it away enough for Him to be anywhere near us. And instead, He saw fit to give a part of Himself, to be the ultimate sacrifice."

"One man could really love all people that much?"

"One God, in the shape of a man, to help us understand. I... Don't know if this explanation is helpful, or believable. It is a large concept, even for me. There are days when I wonder if I grasp it at all."

"No, no, I found it extremely helpful. A story like that... I would want to put stock in a love so deep, myself. I would want to believe that a being like that exists."

"Well, are you willing? There is much more to learn, if you are interested."

Again, 2 had to pause again and think about that. He hadn't had the time to know his creator well; but if there was one thing he had learned about the man, it was how little stock he had put in the supernatural. His was a house where science was the ultimate answer to the world's problems. Nothing couldn't be solved, with the right knowledge and tools. The few vague mentions of a loving God in the universe were spoken with disdain. If such a God existed, things wouldn't have happened the way they had.

Then there were the long years that followed, hidden away in Sanctuary. Something had led them instinctively to seek shelter in a cathedral—even 1 had unwittingly been drawn to the house of God for protection. Of all the other places he could have led them, a church was his first choice. They had poured through Bibles in their spare time, soaking up the old stories, though under the impression that it was just another branch of classical mythology. The stories were endearing, frightening, hopeful, violent, and highly educational. Yet, they seemed too fantastic to have actually happened once.

2 remembered reading the prophecies Peter had spoken of. He remembered the accounts of the gospels—the name of Jesus Christ, His purely liven life, His horrific crucifixion and miraculous return from the dead. It had simply flown so smoothly, from an ominous exposition to an explosive and triumphant conclusion, the way the best stories should. It had all seemed like another fairy tale. The most thrilling and enjoyable fairy tale he had ever read, but nothing more than a fairy tale, all the same.

Peter's explanation of the tale was so much more meaningful, though. He had so much more to tell than the starkly written gospels. It was a story—and, also like any other story, there were hidden truths and meaning to be unpacked. Now that he understood what the story really meant, what it was about...

"...Yes, I find myself very willing. Tell me everything!"

"Patience, my friend," Peter insisted in his good natured way. "There is much for you to learn. Come, let us walk, and I shall begin from the very beginning. I'll be bracing myself for many more questions; I am expecting them in floods."

"Then I won't disappoint you."

"Well then, let me think. The beginning... That was a long time ago, wasn't it? In the beginning, there was nothing..."

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For a while, it was still and quiet. A little later into the evening, that stillness was joyously shattered by Peppermint bounding back into the ruins, a head and a half taller and more full of energy than she had been before. She seemed like her old self, only taller-everything was there, from the threads of black hair that reached past her dove gray waist, to the gleaming silver of her hardware. The striking difference was that...

Everyone had to look at her twice, because it seemed like the threads holding her seams together were sparkling. 5 just stood back and let them all wonder at it; Peppermint was pleasantly surprised as well, still unable to believe that her stitches had all been done with glittery silver thread. That was a trick that Parsley had not asked for, but something of 5's personal doing. Even if it hadn't been requested, he knew that his fellow Innocent—the smallest Innocent—would be all the happier in a body that sparkled in the faintest possibility of light.

This had gone decidedly, very well. For just a moment, he allowed pride to fill him a little bit. Now, he could return his focus to bigger things: his child still needed finishing, and he felt like his wife still needed attention. Even if Pi insisted that she was fine on her own, she was still carrying a baby, and she still deserved his undivided attention. It felt unfair that it had been split between so many other things.

And then... There was still Rosemary to build for, he remembered, rolling his eye. She hadn't exactly left them a lot of time to get this done, either. That was infuriating.

5 decided to put Rosemary from his mind for the evening, think about that in the morning, and just celebrate a successful season of autumn with the others. Peppermint wasn't the only reason to celebrate, either. He couldn't walk past anybody without being congratulated for his child, and for the success his wife's upgrade had been. The flow of compliments was unending.

This time around, he made it a point to spend real quality time with Pi's family, instead of shyly secluded with his own. The First Clan seemed to really like him, and he supposed there was no magic behind that. He had been the missing puzzle piece needed to free them from a dreadful curse. They would be eternally grateful to him for all time, of course; but now, he was an extension of their family. And for no other reason than that, they loved him as much as Pi did.

He was still slightly intimidated by Epsilon sometimes, though. He got the impression that deep down inside, his father-in-law still wanted to punch him in the face for being impatient. However, the old warrior was far too happy to let that surface. He was just... Happy. 5 had only seen the man really, purely happy a few times; he was a Spartan person, more given to seriousness than to joy. In some instances, though, he couldn't help himself.

This evening, Epsilon had approached him suddenly, placing his hands firmly on his shoulders and looking him over intensely. 5 had half expected that punch in the face and stiffened, hoping his fear didn't show too badly on his face. After a moment, Epsilon gathered himself and let his face soften a bit.

"You've done well... My son."

Oh boy. 5 was extremely relieved, and touched to the core. He tried not to act too surprised, when the man even beckoned him to walk for a bit.

"You know, I've never truly known what it’s like to have sons. No—I've been blessed with girls: a wife, and five lovely daughters. I have always wondered what it must be like..."

"What about Kappa?"

"Oh, that firry Kappa. I wish I had known him longer. He was a brave boy, and we were happy to have him with us. His strength kept us more than safe, and he was kind to my girls. He was a friend. However, I was never quite able to see him as my own, any more than he was able to see me as a father.

"It’s a terrible shame. He was gone so suddenly, and we knew so little of him... His passing was more of an inconvenience than a real wound. Until Alpha showed up, anyway. It was a poor trade."

"I'll say," 5 agreed, not sure what else to say to that.

"5, I started off with as many daughters as your name—and I refuse to believe that is a mere coincidence. I've had to endure the loss of three of them, and only one of them has returned to me safely. I have you to thank for that miracle. And now I see you, both of you... And I am very proud."

"Really?"

"Of course. Children are a blessing; and, as you see, I have been blessed beyond measure. You and Pi have done well together, in all you have done. Here at the end, after all the terrible things that have happened, I look forward to watching you raise my grandchildren. You have been a good husband to their mother—you will be just as good a father to them."

5 felt his face grow hot. That was high praise that he almost couldn't accept. Just almost, though—it was praise he had always hoped for, but feared he would never hear.

"Thank you," he finally whispered back.

"And," Epsilon continued, "I look forward to having you for a son. You're married to my beloved Pi. You're a part of our family now. Promise me that you won't hide from us anymore, because my Sigma and I are anxious to have our own son's company from now on. Is it understood?"

Now he thought he might faint, from all the honor that had been dumped on his head.

"I promise, Epsilon. I'll be here for them, as much as I am for my own family."

To that, Epsilon gave him a rare smile.

"Good. I am glad to have that settled, then."

Most of the other Elders would have finished that discussion with a warm hug. That was a lot to expect from stoic Epsilon, who rarely showed much emotion in public. That was alright, though. This had been more than enough.

Now that their heart-to-heart was out of the way, their conversation moved to other exciting things. Epsilon wanted to know everything about their lives in the library, which Pi always made out to be exciting. Normally, 5 would have laughed at that; their lives were typically pretty normal, as days came and went and everyone carried on in their own favorite ways.

When he thought about it, though... Yes, they had all been pretty busy, and life was never really dull. There was always something to build, something to read, something to learn, something precious to hear from Dixie, to brighten an already good day. And now there was a new baby to look forward to. Of course, Epsilon was dying to hear all about that. Down to the last stitch of their designs, he wanted to know everything there was to know about his first grandchild.

That made 5 smile endlessly. His child would have good grandparents.

 _Children,_ he mentally corrected himself.  _Now that we know it can happen, nothing's stopping us from having a big family, just like we had wanted. Well... I guess it’s best to just think about this little one, first, and the others when they come along._

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The sun was beginning to set—it was the end of the gathering's second day. The temperature outside was dropping rapidly. Inside, the five clans had lit the broken, empty floor of the senate with fires. One large bonfire raged bright and warm in the center of the floor; surrounding it were the five smaller fires of each clan's camp. The little camps were mostly empty, though. Almost everyone was gathered around the warm and company of the big fire, mingling and talking with friends.

Pi, however, chose to stay by the Fifth Clan's personal fire this evening. She felt unusually tired today, not in the most talkative mood for now. It was enough for her to sit and watch everyone else from a distance, just enjoying the feeling of belonging again.

She also enjoyed watching the few children playing together, and thinking exciting thoughts about when her own child would be big enough to run and play with them. Losing herself in thoughts of the future was easy, and fun. There was a future to plan for now, and it was safe to plan for beauty.

She was so lost in thought, she jumped a bit as a blanket suddenly settled around her shoulders.

"You're sure you're not cold? Not even a little bit?"

"Fi, you scared me," she gently scolded, turning to look up at him. "You might have warned me, you know."

"I didn't think you would notice me," he answered, sitting beside her. "You don't, sometimes; but I don't mind. I like it that you're a thoughtful person."

"So are you," she pointed out, leaning up to kiss his cheek. "And no, I'm not cold," she assured him with a smile.

"Asking constantly is my job, honey. I know you don't like us fussing, but we can't help it. We love you."

"You seemed to be having fun, before I zoned out. You can go on with your friends; you don't have to stay here in the dark, if you don't want to. I'm perfectly happy just watching all of you, tonight."

She got the feeling that he was about to insist on staying, anyway. He never got to answer, though, because patchwork Daniel and sparkly Peppermint suddenly bounded up to them.

"Whatcha doing all the way over here, lady?" Daniel asked in a loud, unabashed voice. "Why don't you come with us?"

"Yeah, aren't you lonely?" Peppermint added, more concerned than her friend over her fellow Innocent's absence.

Pi shook her head with a gentle smile. "No, no, I'm fine," she answered. "Just a little tired is all. It’s sweet of you to come and see me, though."

Daniel looked down at her belly, and his small eyes grew wide. "Ooh... Mom and dad said you were having a baby. It’s getting all big!"

"Can I feel?" Peppermint asked shyly.

"Of course," Pi agreed, taking the girl's hand and placing it gently against the swell, where it felt the warmest.

"Me too! Me too!" Daniel said excitedly, holding his hand up for attention. Pi took his hand in her free one, and placed it beside Peppermint's.

"Daniel, I bet your family had fun doing this with you," she commented.

"And Hadassah, too. I haven't felt a baby since she was inside my mom. It’s real nice, huh? Hey, do you think my sister's ever gonna have kids? That would sure be neat. I'd be an uncle, then! Lady, you should tell us a story."

Pi was slightly fazed by the child's sudden change in subject. He had so much energy, bounding from one thing to the next, before the last thing was really finished.

"Oh, that's a great idea," Peppermint agreed while Pi paused a little too long. "You need the practice, Pi. You'll be telling your baby all kinds of stories one day, when it’s big and can listen."

"I can go get the other kids, and we can all sit and hear a story!" Daniel cheered. "Come on, tell us a story! Please?"

"Oh, can those eyes get any bigger?" Pi finally asked. "Go on and get your friends, while I think of a good story."

With a squeal of delight, Daniel bolted off. Peppermint sat down at Pi's feet and made herself comfortable.

"What story do you think you'll tell us?"

"Well, I know a bunch. I have to think about this..."

"You guys are going to enjoy this," 5 said while she was busy thinking. "She's an amazing story teller. Just wait—she'll make everything seem so real."

"Oh... I hope it’s not a scary story, then..."

Taking that comment into consideration, Pi crossed several tales from her mental list—including Perseus and the kraken, and Theseus and the Minotaur. There was no reason to fill the children's heads with monsters before sending them off to bed. A pity. Those were two of her favorites, and in honesty, the first that had come to her mind. Maybe some other night, when they were older.

She needed a nice, neutral story. One that was just a string of fairy inoffensive happenings.

She knew just the one.

Daniel returned a few minutes later with a small crowd in tow. Cheshvan, his Warrior father had come along, to look after tired, squirmy Hadassah. (Daniel couldn't have hoped to contain her alone.) Sivan and Av had come with them too, always excited to hear Pi tell a good story. Zeke had trotted after them, because he understood that the First Clan knew all the great Greek myths, and was eager to hear one told in the "classical style", as he put it. Gamma and Theta had come, of course, because they loved their big sister. Toddling along behind Daniel, easy to miss because of her size in the dark, Dixie had even been allowed to go somewhere under someone else's watch.

"She sure likes me," Daniel commented proudly as Dixie clung defensively to his leg. "She doesn't ever leave me alone. She's cute. I like her."

Dixie shuffled from behind him to fling herself over her auntie's knees. "My Pi got a story? I like a little story!"

"Oh, I've got a wonderful story for all you little buttons," she agreed, picking Dixie up and placing her in 5's snuggly lap. "It’s one of Theta's old favorites—The Dancing Horses of Sybaris."

A hush fell over the crowd, as she cleared her throat and began her tale:

"Once upon a time, in the land my creator's family came from, there was a city called Sybaris. The city was prosperous, surrounded by vast fields, and the people did good business trading with other cities. For many years, the Sybarites were an industrious and hardworking people; they quickly built up their strength and their wealth, and soon became more prosperous and powerful than any other city in the land.

"However, as their wealth grew and grew, and continued to grow, the people of Sybaris slowly abandoned their industriousness, and the habits of hard work and thrift that had made them so powerful. They became more accustomed to lives of pleasure and ease, leaving the hard work to their servants, while they ate and drank, studied and slept, and spent their long days however they cared.

"So great was their pursuit of pleasure, they offered prizes of honor and treasure to anyone who could invent a new, exciting form of entertainment. One day, it happened there was a young man who worked in a stable, caring for the fine horses that belonged to the Sybarite army—"

"What's that?"

Pi was completely startled from her story by Daniel's loud interruption. He had also raised his hand high in the air, though he hadn't waited to be called on.

"What is what?"

"Horses. What's that mean?"

Ah, true. The children wouldn't know what a horse was.

"Well, a horse is a type of really enormous animal which walks on four legs, with a strong, sturdy back. Humans once used them to help carry heavy loads, and really fine horses were used for riding.

"Now, these were very special horses," she continued, resuming her tale. "These were very fine war horses, which carried Sybarite warriors into fierce battle. In this time of plenty and pleasure, though, there were no great battles for these fine horses to ride into. So, they were kept safely in a great stable, in the hands of a certain young man who wished terribly to be honored by the city. He wished for fame and glory, and the life of ease that he saw rich people living. But alas, he was a simple farm boy, working in a stable, looking after horses. It seemed he would spend the rest of his life looking after horses. Was there no way out of this fate?

"This young man also played the flute, and he played it exquisitely. He played his flute so sweetly, that passing people who heard his song often couldn't help but dance past, on their way. One day, the young man came upon a wonderful idea: what if he taught the fine horses to dance to his flute? And what if he presented a whole cavalry of dancing horses to the people of Sybaris for their entertainment? Why, he could become the most famous young man in all the land!

"Thrilled by his new idea, he set about teaching the war horses to dance. In only a few weeks, every fine horse in that stable was dancing perfectly in time to his playing. When he presented them to the people, played his flute and made the horses dance, the people were delighted. Now, not only did they have the finest cavalry of beautiful war horses in the land, but they could now dance, as well! At the sound of any flute playing, the fine horses would immediately begin to dance and prance about, like the most wonderful dancers you could ask for. The young man was honored greatly, and he was given the pleasant life of ease he had always dreamed of.

"...Hm, this is the place where most tales end with the heroes living happily ever after, isn’t it?" she pointed out to her audience, shaking her head. "Unfortunately for the Sybarites, their wealth, power, and luxury had gained them many enemies. Not terribly far away, there was the small village of the Crotonites—a community of hard, diligent workers, students and tradesmen, who toiled along the banks of the Croton River. It was a hard life, which afforded them no time for pleasure or luxury. And so they often turned longing, jealous, angry eyes on opulent Sybaris. To have worked so hard and thrown all care away, to have lost themselves in laziness... It infuriated the Crotonites, who worked just as hard as the Sybarites once had, yet they had gained so little.

"Because they were hard workers and not at all lazy or care free, the Crotonites were a very strong people. They often attempted to wage war on Sybaris, to take the glorious city for themselves. However, the Crotonites were a poor people and their numbers were few; the Sybarites had great armies, outfitted with the best weapons and armor their riches could afford. The Crotonites never stood a chance against their neighbor, and were always driven back in defeat.

"Then... One day... A spy returned to them from Sybaris with exciting news. He had been within the walls of the great city, and seen an amazing thing: an army of dancing horses! The Sybarites had trained their horses to dance, to keep them amused in times of peace! This discovery made the Crotonites even more jealous and angry—they could barely afford horses of their own at all, and this was how Sybaris wasted its cavalry?

"In the midst of their anger, the Crotonites figured out a clever plan. They waged war on their neighbor a final time, for they had found a way to bring their army down:

"A group of their best warriors went our first, dressed as disarming shepherds, armed only with reed flutes. Unsuspecting of any danger from a gaggle of Crotonite sheep herders, the Sybarite warriors decorated themselves in flashy armor, sweeping capes, and ceremonial weapons, rather than arming themselves for real battle. The impressive number of the Sybarite army rode out upon their fine war horses, expecting the battle to be over quickly.

"And then... The Crotonites began to play their flutes. Choas unfolded before the great city's eyes. The horses forgot all else but the music, as they had been trained to, and they began to dance away! Many of them threw off their riders, entranced by the music, as the clever Crotonites led them away, to their own village. Now, Croton had a fine cavalry of war horses of which to be very proud.

"Ever after that, it was Croton that prevailed in battle, for what was Sybaris without its cavalry? In time, they were overrun completely, and their power stripped away, as the Crotonites overwhelmed them and finally, with the aid of their fine new horses, they conquer the great city.

"...Theta, would you like to wrap this one up?"

Theta was blushing, unsure of the attention suddenly thrust on her. But she raised her head confidently—this was her very favorite story ever, and she kept the finishing moral close to her heart.

"After all," the girl concluded in a confident voice, with a confident smile, "how else could it have possibly ended, for a community so frail and idle? They were doomed to fall and fail, as we all are when we give ourselves to ease."

"The end," the two sisters chorused.

 


	10. The Battle Lines Are Drawn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obnoxious Fourth Clan. Lol, someone is getting punched in the face today. :)
> 
> This was the point in the story where I had to stop and reevaluate the whole plot, because it was beginning to revolve creepily around these people. And the Fourth Clan is, as you will see, pretty bad news. In planning ahead, their offenses slowly started becoming violent.... Dangerous..... Sexual...... I had to stop and cut that crap out of my life, because this whole story was SUPPOSED to be about Dixie and her cousins.
> 
> And, all of a sudden... Dixie, who? 9 and 7's adorable little girl who keeps saying cute baby things? She's important in this story? She STOPS being a baby in this story? *le gasp* Didn't realize that...
> 
> That issue has been resolved since then. ;D

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_The Battle Lines Are Drawn_

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The dawn of the third day was colder than normal; the sun was shining, but too far away for its warmth to count for much. There was vague talk of ending the gathering a day early, in case it snowed, but it wasn't a large discussion. Everyone was enjoying themselves too much for a little snow to send them home, even if some of their women were getting hugely pregnant, even if there were small children who had never seen snow before, even if there were Elders who were too old and frail to be wandering in it. No, they all quietly agreed that they would all manage it, somehow. Perhaps their worrying was pointless, and it wouldn't snow at all.

Still, it was suddenly bitterly cold in city hall, even with six fires blazing on the senate floor. Nobody planned to venture far from the fires that afternoon, especially not after Pi finally asked where her jacket was. (At the very bottom of 5's pack, nearly forgotten.)

It seemed to some that a sort of infant economy was springing up among the clans; each one had a special talent or two that aided the others in some way or another. Some of the mothers had gone to Gamma to ask about music lessons for their children. Pi had gone to talk to Adam of the Second Clan about cloth, because he was an exceptional weaver. Oregano was adept at building weapons, and his brother, Basil had been trying to convince 8 to join forces with him to start a company of their own. All the clans clamored around the Fifth, inquiring details about bodies for their future children, and 2's well made tools. Being nomadic, the Third Clan knew all about traveling gear and were happy to share their knowledge.

This was exciting. They were all trading and marketing, just like their human creators would have. When there were more than 50 of them, perhaps they would need to be more than just five clans, scattered haphazardly around the city. When their future generations inevitably began to intermarry, they wouldn't just be separate clans anymore. They would need to be a whole city of their own, of tightly knit communities and thriving marketplaces. The nine different classes they had now would someday be specialized jobs, with masters, apprentices, and patrons.

They would be a nation.

For himself, 3 fancied the idea of being a teacher. He liked to think he could be good at teaching young people-he was certainly good enough at teaching his little sister, and supposed (a bit grudgingly at the thought) he would soon be teaching nieces and nephews of his own. As a child, he had thought his desire for knowledge and order had been meant to merely preserve what was being rapidly lost to time and decay, and that his work was only meant for humans to find when they one day returned. However... With all these kids being born, and the return of human kind appearing to be as far off as ever... Gee, it seemed like such a waste. The discovery that his gift had a whole class, and a name— _Seeker_ —made it seem so much more important, and needed in this moment. For his people, not for some distant time and a race he couldn't even remember clearly.

The idea of an economy where his skills were useful and sought after, and people paid him for it by trading for things he needed from them, thrilled his heart. When he spoke of this to his friends—Zeke and Theta only, because the other Seekers didn't count in his mind—they were also excited.

"A world where I'm needed," Theta mused with wondrous eyes, "where I'm useful and wanted... That would be nice."

"Oh, but you're always wanted here, Theta," Zeke insisted, though his face was buried in some papers someone had given him. The characters appeared to be Hebrew. Tishrei must have given them to him in secret, because Teslev would never have dreamed of handing their sacred language over to a gentile brat like him.

"How's the reading coming along?" Theta asked him.

"Slowly, but it’s beginning to happen. On the whole, the Third Clan has been very helpful. When I told them how much I wanted to learn their language—boy, you should have seen Tishrei's face. He was so excited, he just started handing me things to read. Some of them don't like it, but... Well, Tishrei likes it, and that's enough for me."

Theta stifled a giggle and leaned closer to 3, pretending to whisper, "He just really wants to get on Tishrei's good side. He fancies Av, you know."

Zeke peered furiously over his paper. "I admire her work, and she is a lovely girl. That's all!"

Theta put on her most charming smile and gazed aloofly into the rafters.

_"Hey, that's cool,"_ 3 insisted.  _"Av is pretty neat. I like her. ...As a person, I mean, she's terrific. I'm not, like, going to fight you for her or a anything. "_

"The two of you are impossible," Zeke growled, focusing all the more on his papers. "It’s not like that. And what about you, Theta? Set your sights on someone? "

Theta shrugged. "There's no one my age. Even if there was... Nah. Watching from a distance is more than enough for me."

3 rolled his eyes.  _"That's what my uncle used to say,"_ he grumbled.

"Well, it’s what I say now, and it probably won't change. If there's one thing I know pretty well, it’s myself," Theta informed him, unusually boldly. "How about you, 3?"

That question hit a little too close to home. After watching his own sister's once-logical brain deteriorate in the throws of romance, the very idea of being attracted to someone frightened him. He was still angry with her, as well—for all that they still shared the same part of the building, he hadn't spoken to her since the wedding. That day, he had only done so to keep up appearances; it would have looked exceptionally odd if he hadn't wished his own twin some sort of congratulation on her wedding day. But other than that—a facade to go on protecting her in public, for reasons he still couldn't fathom—he had nothing nice to say to her. So he had simply avoided her. And her little hubby, as well.

Recalling how quickly and easily she had fallen prey to romance worried him, for himself. They were twins, after all. There was a lot that they shared in personality. What if romance could destroy him just as quickly and easily? And if it took him, it would mean dragging someone else down with him-someone from an entirely different clan. His sister's slapped-together wedding was easy enough to pass off—it wasn't like she had another family, hours away, wondering why she would just get up and marry someone they didn't know.

_"...No,"_ he answered after a pause.  _"No, and there never will be. I'm never going to fall in love."_

"Never is a bit of a long time," Zeke pointed out. "Are you sure you can hold to that?"

3 scoffed to that.  _"How hard can it be to not look at girls? They're not that great... No offense, Theta."_

"None taken, it seemed like a compliment," she said dejectedly, rubbing her arm. "Geez, my sister will like knowing how valuable her friendship is to you, then. Gamma had enjoyed your company."

_"That's not what I meant, and you know it."_

"You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say she kind of  _likes_ you."

_"Don't say that! She's just a friend! Anyway, she's just a kid. It would never work."_

"Tell that to your father, who upgrades us for a living," Zeke pointed out with a grin. "What will you do, then? She seems to like you an awful lot."

3 shot him a look.  _"We're just friends. That's all."_

"Okay, okay, I get it."

Zeke didn't sound like he meant that, though.

"Can we talk about something  _actually_ intellectual?" Theta insisted a bit dryly. "There's nothing intellectual about romance."

_"I'll say,"_ 3 agreed at once, glad for the change in topic.  _"How about us, being teachers and all? We need to get organized, so let’s all pick our subjects now. I could teach history."_

"And I philosophy," Theta added.

"Language, for me," Zeke concluded. "I know so many of them... What about the others? There are six of us, after all."

_"Um..."_

"Teslev would have made a terrific teacher of theology, or law," Theta commented, "except he barely speaks to anyone outside his own clan.  _And_ he only bothers with the side of anything that makes him right, and the rest of us wrong. There's so much we could learn from him..."

"I know. As a fellow Seeker, I find it a frustration. And a waste. But at least if he insists on being poisonous, he stays quietly out of the way. There's really nothing more we can do for it. Oh well. If he won't teach anyone else, I'll teach theology."

"Alright. That's a start. What else is there? Hm... Math, literature, science, music..."

_"That's a list I don't think has an end, Theta. Life is school—you can't learn_ _ everything _ _out of a book."_

"Every member of every clan has some kind of knowledge he or she can share with the rest of us," Zeke commented. "I find that to be exciting. Even though we're nine different classes, each single class has pieces of the other eight. That way, not a single one of us 45 could possibly be boring."

"I don't understand," Theta replied, tilting her head a bit.

"Take me, for instance. I was made to be a Seeker. But I'm also exceptionally strong and quick with a blade, so I'm also a good makeshift Warrior. And I think I have traits of all the other classes—just enough to keep me balanced."

_"I'm the same way,"_ 3 agreed.  _"I've spent so much time around 2 and learned so much from him, I'm practically a Creator, myself. And he has a Scholar's heart, himself. Oh, I think I've seen this in our book, somewhere. I'll need to look it up when I get home."_

Zeke sat back and set his papers in his lap, staring longingly into space. "Oh, for a chance to actually see _Annuls of Paracelsus._ We once had a copy—I've seen it with my own eyes. Then one day, not long before he died, our creator took the book from the house. He never let me look at it before, either; he said I didn't need that troubling me. And then... It was just gone. We never saw it again."

3 smiled helpfully.  _"Gosh, Zeke, you're always welcome to come by and help yourself. Say for some notes scribbled here and there in the margins, our copy is in perfect condition."_

Zeke looked like he might jump for joy. He managed to remain seated, but his face was bright enough compensate for the pale November sun. "You mean it? Yes! I'd really appreciate it," he agreed. "Thanks!"

_"Sure. What are friends for?"_

2222222222

Elsewhere, other clusters of friends were having their own discussions about their own things. Classes had divided themselves up, mostly, and now they were all mingling nicely. 5 kind of wished he could be bold enough to make new friends on his own like that; becoming friendly with his wife's family was admittedly difficult enough. He was more than happy to watch everyone else. Even Pi was making friends, and that made him very happy.

Anyway, he had work to be done, and done quickly. He didn't like doing business while on vacation, but there was a child due in January. That gave him a whole month less to complete the body and deliver it safely to its family. And there would be snow to hike in... 5 was unhappy about all of this. No one else could have helped the timing, and everyone was still getting used to the idea of the Fifth Clan making bodies on commission. The fact that it happened to be Rosemary, and the way she demanded his service as if she were the queen of Sheba, and that she clearly wasn't married to the child's father (whoever he was)... Oh, it just aggravated him to no end.

Maybe he had been wrong about the Fourth Clan's grouchier members. Maybe some of them were just unpleasant for the fun of it.

So he sat by himself, out of the way, working on some preliminary sketches. Rosemary hadn't even bothered giving him details or specifications—she had just come and demanded a product, then turned and walked away as if she hadn't the time to deal with him. Therefore, he had just sketched something plain, devoid of particularly special features. He hadn't even bothered brainstorming colors or closures yet. He would just use whatever they had at the library. If Rosemary didn't care, and had put him to such a deadline, she could take what he gave her and be grateful he had made it in time.

A while later, 2 ventured to him alone and sat down beside him.

"You're missing out on something amazing, you know," the old man said in his kindly way. "You ought to join us."

"I have things to do. I don't like Rosemary, but I'm not going to let the life of another child slip through my hands if I can help it."

2 made a solemn face, which shifted into a grin. "If it helps, Parsley left me a list of details for you."

"Oh! That's a relief. Where is she, anyway? I thought she'd be with you, of all places. I've barely seen the two of you apart all weekend."

"Ah, yes. She finds herself a bit busy at the moment, but she will be along, eventually. In the meantime," he said, handing over a scrap of paper, "here are her specifications. I believe you will find everything you need here, she is a very thorough woman."

"She is," 5 agreed, glancing over the list. It was a hand that looked like it was normally more careful and precise, but in this instance was a bit hurried and sloppy from having nothing to bear down on. It looked like Parsley's handwriting would.

_Sage says to expect a girl, if it helps. Tarry likes the name Riza._

_He has asked for a golden fabric; like the sun, he says. You haven't sparking gold thread, do you?_

_Buttons, yellow or red-let the artist decide._

_He insists on hair: dark red, preferably, but short. How did your brother's hair happen?_

5 re-read it once, twice, memorizing it. "...I assume that by Tarry, she means Tarragon? He's the father? "

"I know, it boggles the mind a bit," 2 agreed with a dubious sigh. "He is such a sweet man; reminds me of you, at times. I never would have placed him with her. Such a vicious girl... The boy deserves better. I wish Parsley would explain how, and why. The girl certainly hasn't agreed to marry him, though I am certain he has asked her. Numerous times, no doubt."

"Strange... Well, if this is what they want, this is what I will make. Feh; I had just finished everything else I had to do. I was looking forward to spending the next few weeks tending to my own wife. If I miss my child being born because I'm lost in the snow, delivering this body, I'm going to be very angry."

"Now, now, my boy, we won't let that happen," 2 insisted, patting his son on the shoulder. "Between three of us, I think we can have this done in a couple of weeks. We get better and faster every time we try."

"That is true. I just wish she didn't peeve me as much as she does. She's just so..."

"I understand the feeling. I think most of us do. She isn't the only problem, you know. All I've heard out of 7 recently is what a pain Oregano is. He has been unusually unpleasant this time. The other Warriors aren't sure what to do about this."

"She was pretty adamant about that last night. Does Parsley ever complain?"

"Hardly. She's happier to discuss science, actually. I explained today how magnets effect our brains and why; and she enjoyed it, in spite of her habit. I'm hoping I can help her quit that infernal thing-a woman of her stature shouldn't lean on such a thing."

"It sounds like you've found a really good friend."

"A good friend, indeed. I... have never really had a friend before. And now, I find myself surrounded by them. I am a happy, happy man."

5 smiled back at his father, searching his face. Again, with his one eye, he spotted something different. It hadn't struck like lightning, the way he had seen it happen to his brother, or to himself. There was a seed there, threatening to slowly grow with time.

His smile grew, as well. His father was falling in love. 2 probably didn't realize it yet, and Parsley probably didn't, either. But... 5 hoped it would happen, one day. After all that had happened over the past many years, his father more than deserved the love and support that only a wife could give.

Destiny had hauled 5 back from the dead to unite him with Pi. Maybe destiny had done the very same thing for 2, to bring him to Parsley. That was exciting to think about.

In the meantime, 5 stacked the list on top of his drawings and rolled them up in a neat, safe bundle, replacing them in his pack. "So, where's Parsley now?"

"With Peter. The three of us had gotten into a fascinating discussion a while ago. I had meant to bring you the list, so I had left them alone for a bit. She may be coming to an interesting change of heart."

"How so?"

"Well, it’s one that's also come about me, these last few days. 5, do you remember the Bibles we would read, long ago in Sanctuary? When we didn't understand, and thought the stories were fairy tales?"

"Oh... Oh yeah. Wow, I learned otherwise quickly, once I met Adar. There's something very special about him-all of them. And... It sounds crazy... But if their Yahweh wasn't in that garage with us, I don't know how anything is possible. I never particularly cared before. In a single night, I changed my mind entirely."

"The Second Clan is the same."

"They know about Yahweh? I thought—"

"Teslev seems to have his own version of the stories. He would have us believe that Yahweh is only meant for his own clan, that such a God has no care for the rest of us."

"But that's... That isn't true, is it?"

"All selfishness," 2 agreed, shaking his head and looking a little cross. "That is a lie, if I have ever heard one. 5, you knew of Yahweh all this time and never said anything?"

"I was told to forget it. I was  _told_ that such a God wasn't meant for me, and that I shouldn't bother," 5 explained, suddenly feeling sorely cheated. "And... After seeing what He could do for someone He cared for... I... guess I was a little scared of Him. I was terrified to bother Him somehow, and end up on His bad side."

"My goodness. You need to see someone from the Second Clan and get this sorted out. I promise you, the things these people have to tell you are amazing. It’s everything I've been looking for, the explanation I've been missing and could never seem to find in any book or piece of art. I've much to learn from them. Well, you can imagine how thrilled I am."

"I can. Are they all busy?"

"They're always happy to explain things. That's what they're here for. Come, I'll help you find them."

5 only hesitated for a split second, suddenly torn between the details he could add to his sketch, and some long awaited reassurance. Feeling like he could use that reassurance before returning to his work, he got up and followed his father into the crowd.

2222222222

Elsewhere, Pi found herself in a small cluster of mothers, keeping watch over the children as they played together. Conversation was light and easy, and to her immense relief, no one brought up anything to do with her unfortunate past. All the other mothers wanted to talk about was the future that awaited her, with all its joys, possibilities, and potential pitfalls. She had learned enough, from watching her brother and sister raising their first child, to know that being responsible for a whole new person wasn't always easy. Luckily, her newfound friends were happy to give her advice and warnings.

A pity, that she had forgotten how much she liked these people. All recollection of their kindness had been lost to the curse that had held her for four long years. It filled her with joy to finally reclaim that. When her baby was born, there would be a place warmly awaiting it with the other children; it wouldn't be scorned or rejected because of her. Maybe it never had to know the sequence of events that had led to its life.

"So," Kislev wanted to know, "have the two of you decided on names?"

"Oh, we've narrowed it down, at last," Pi answered with a smile. "15 for a boy—named after his father—or Omega for a girl. We could call her Meggie, for short."

"You don't know? If you ask your Prophet, he can tell you."

"No, no, we like the surprise. Anyway, 6 has other things to think about..."

"Ah, yes. Of course. Expecting so soon after their wedding? How fortunate. Our little fold won't be so little, soon."

"That's exciting," Lydia commented from the other side of the group. She had no children yet, but she and her husband were preparing to change that; to her, every moment soaking up words of wisdom was time well spent. "And yours will be the first child who can claim two clans. You may have started a revolution, Pi."

"Well, I like to think I can get something done."

"I've heard that carrying a child can be difficult, but also that it can be different for different women. Is this true?"

"It sure seems to be," 7 agreed, daring to take her eyes off her own toddler for a moment. "I hated nearly every second of it. She seems to be fine," she explained, nodding at her sister. "Lucky..."

"Luckier so, for myself," Kislev added helpfully. "I had braced myself for battle, with all my children. However, I've felt little pain in either carrying or birthing. It wasn't what I had expected. I'm sorry it went so poorly for you, 7."

7 groaned. "Having that kid stuck inside me for three months was annoying enough. Getting her out was another monster entirely. I literally thought I was going to die. I asked my husband to go ahead and kill me and get it over with, you know."

Pi shuddered. "Yes, I do..."

Kislev and Lydia both stared at them in shock.

"...Bad as all that?" Lydia finally asked.

"I'm not doing that again. I mean... If it happens on its own, I won't have much of a choice, but... I love my daughter, and I wouldn't change her being here for anything in the world. But if she ever begs me for a little brother or sister, she will just be in for disappointment, because I will not oblige on my own."

"She'll have all my children to play with," Pi pointed out helpfully. "I'm not really concerned with the pain. I'll deal with it, if I have to. I still want lots of children."

"Lots?" Lydia asked with a smirk. "How many is 'lots'?"

"Two or three, at least."

" _Someone_ is aiming for the stars," 7 teased with a smirk of her own.

"Stop it!" Pi teased back. She thought to shift the topic to 4, and all the possibilities for her own baby. They were interrupted, however, by a squeal of dislike from nearby. Daniel had been playing very nicely with Dixie before; she now had his arm in a vice grip and was gnawing determinedly on his wrist, while he tried and failed to wriggle from her grasp.

"Mom! She's biting me!"

7 jumped up in alarm, imploring her baby to stop eating the boy as she dashed to pry them apart. The rest of them chuckled over the scene. Daniel would probably never let her live it down.

"She's always tearing stuff apart, these days," Pi commented. "Now we just have to teach her to put them back together again."

"She's not the only one," a sultry new voice chimed in. Everyone looked up and tried not to be too annoyed to see Rosemary sidling into their circle. Pi couldn't help a frown; she didn't like where this was going.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she countered bravely, determined that the other woman would not get her goat.

Rosemary gave her a crooked, sinister smile. "Oh, I think you know very well what it’s supposed to mean."

"Go away, Rosemary," Lydia interjected. "What are you even looking for here?"

"Forgive me, princess," Rosemary answered snidely. "I thought this was the mommy club; and, as you can see, I more than qualify. What are  _you_ doing here?"

"Researching. And we all know why you're really here, so stop lying to us. Go away, and leave Pi alone."

"Oh, your little god just imparts all sorts of choice knowledge to you, doesn't he? You just know everything, don't you?"

Lydia scowled at her, offended to her core, but didn't answer.

"I was coming to offer my congratulations, in fact," Rosemary explained tartly, if not blatantly insincerely. "However, if this is the way the mommy club likes to play, fine. I see how it is. I'll just have to make sure my little girl doesn't come around you fey, ridiculous women and your grubby little kids."

By now, everyone was scowling at her, including Daniel, who pouted and crossed his arms indignantly.

"I'm not grubby," he muttered. "Mom made me take a bath before we came and everything. The water was cold, too! It’s not fair..."

Rosemary ignored the boy and advanced on Pi, continuing, "I also wanted to inform you that even if you've got everyone else fooled, we know better. My clan knows what you're up to."

"I don't understand," Pi answered, genuinely confused.

"Oh, the sheer convenience of it all? Please. You could at least attempt to pretend you've changed."

"I'm completely changed!"

"Stop lying to me. I know what you're up to."

"Enlighten me, then."

"Hey—stop, stop, stop. What's going on, here?"

Distracted, no one had noticed when 5 had appeared, alerted by the rising voices. He marched into the circle and stood defensively beside his wife, not looking pleased at all to see Rosemary, who gave him a menacing smirk.

"Done so fast? So predictable."

"If you've got something to say, Rosemary, say it. I'm listening  _fixatedly_."

She scoffed at him. "You are so stupid! That close, and you can't see what's going on? You never stopped to wonder  _why_ your last child disappeared so easily?"

Suddenly understanding where the accusation was headed, Pi shrank back behind her husband for protection. Also sensing it, 7 ran to her brother and braced her hands firmly against his shoulders.

"Back off, Rosemary," she warned. "You don't want to go there."

"Well someone has to be the voice of reason."

Pi shuddered. "Don't, please, don't...!"

"Say  _one_ more word, and I swear—"

"I'm warning you," 7 growled, fighting to keep her brother from lashing out, "I'm not responsible for what happens next. You have a choice. Drop it and walk away."

"Oh, please. He couldn't lay a finger on a pretty pregnant lady if he wanted to."

"Try me! I'll—"

"5, calm down! She's not worth it."

"You'll what? Kill me? Let two more lives just slip away so easily? It’s not like  _you_  care—not after you willing left your kid alone with your precious wife."

Everyone stopped and stared at her, horrified that she really had dared to go there.

"That's right. You can cover it up all you like, but we're all onto you. Your baby died because your wife  _ate_ it. She devoured that soul, just like the good old days. And deep inside,  _you know it_."

After a second of stunned silence, 7 stepped away from her brother and held her hands up in surrender.

"Okay. Have at her."

Pi buried her face in her own hands, thoroughly sickened and feeling tears choking her throat. She reached for 5, expecting him to gather her into his arms and comfort her.

Instead, in a blur that she almost didn't catch, he lunged forward and slammed his fist squarely into Rosemary's smug little face. The woman shrieked in pain and toppled backward, landing flat on her back, cradling her head in her hands, alternately groaning in pain and screaming in rage.

"We warned you."

"Mum will hear of this!"

"Everyone will. I promise.  _Never_ come near my wife again."

He turned back to Pi, his face probably much more sympathetic than it had been just before, and swooped his arms around her to bear her away as quickly as possible.

"What just happened?" she whimpered, still feeling like she was going to wretch if she didn't sit down.

"She's lost my business forever, is what. Let's just get you out of here."

"You don't really think I—"

"No. Don't even think such things. If no one else knows the truth, I do. I do. We'll be alright, okay? Everything will be alright. I promise."

2222222222

Later that evening, when the classes had gathered again, Rosemary's face was all that anyone could talk about. She had gone around telling people that 5 had just attacked her for no good reason—mad at her for adding another project to his list, she presumed, and after she had so  _humbly_ commissioned it, for her own baby's sake. Whether or not they had been there and knew the real story, nobody bought her tale for truth. Her brothers mostly defended her, though, all saying that they had been there and seen it happen with their own eyes, and threatening to find and beat 5 within an inch of his life.

Such was certainly the case with the Warriors. And 7 was especially furious, as Oregano went on blithering indignant threats and insults.

"And  _you_ ," he said to her, "need to keep a leash on your brother. It’s probably your fault for letting him out of your sight."

"More than likely," Samson interrupted, "it’s you who let your sister out of your sight. You don't really expect us to believe this, do you?"

"Of course, I do! We're all Warriors, here. Why the hell would I lie to you? I was there, damn it, I was there!"

"Well, we've heard from our wives that you were nowhere to be seen. But they did say that 7 was there. Tell us, friend, what actually happened?"

"Well, what  _actually_ happened—"

"No way, seriously? You're really going to listen to a couple of stupid, flappy women instead of me?"

"Oregano, shut up," 7 snapped back, and turned back to her real friends. "Rosemary snuck up on us while we were watching the kids and pounced on Pi, is what actually happened."

"Literally?" Cheshvan asked, eyebrows raised.

"Verbally. You can imagine..."

"What on earth did she say?" Samson asked.

Stalwartly clinging to his father's leg, as always, Daniel shook his head and buried his face in Cheshvan's thigh.

"She was mean," the boy mumbled. "She said Pi ate her baby! Pi wouldn't do that, would she, dad?"

Cheshvan picked up his son and gave him a reassuring hug. "No, no, I'm sure she wouldn't."

"Aw, Cheshvan, what is that woman doing to you? You can't tell me you believe all their bullshit! That damn thing was right there whole time—it was already inside her! It’s so fricken obvious!"

Cheshvan nodded his head decidedly, holding his son defensively close as he promptly turned away.

"We'll be going now. Goodnight, 7, goodnight, Samson."

"What, no goodnight hug for me, big guy?"

Cheshvan didn't answer and kept walking away, back to the shelter of his own clan's campfire. Oregano scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"Sheesh, what's his problem? Kid's got to learn, sometime. Life sucks ass, and spouting off a little never hurt anyone."

"Oregano."

"What, saint Samson?"

"It’s hurting us."

"Ooh, pointy, pointy words," Oregano laughed, jabbing Samson's shoulder with his finger. "So scary. Look, I'm drawing blood! I'm killing you with all the craps I don't give!"

Samson batted his hand away, less than unimpressed.

"This isn't funny."

"It’s hilarious, buzzkill. Come on, Sev, it’s funny! Tell him!"

"Are you stupid?"

"Um, no? You're the stupid one."

7 finally snapped and felt her fist instinctively pull back, but Samson noticed and grabbed her by the wrist.

"Better not to," he advised, shaking his head. "The lesson is wasted on this one. And it would be a shame if two of them were beaten on the same day."

"No, Samson,  _that_ would be funny."

"True. All the same, calm down."

She reluctantly lowered her fist and glared at him unappreciatively, but knew that he was right.

"Oregano, look," Samson said gravely. "You're causing the rest of us problems, and we don't appreciate it."

"Fine, whatever," the other man scoffed, rolling his eyes. "You guys are causing  _me_ problems."

"Then maybe you shouldn't join us anymore," 7 suggested.

"Yeah, I was thinking the same frickeng thing."

"Excellent. We're all in agreement, then," Samson concluded, sounding very pleased.

"Wait... You losers are kicking me out? You can't kick me out! I'm leaving!"

"However you prefer it. 7 and I are going. Don't follow us."

"Gladly. But if you try to join us, don't think we'll let you."

"Believe me, we won't."

Oregano stormed off back to his family, and thankfully didn't look back. 7 and Samson sighed in unison, glad that that was over and done.

"Not that painful at all," he commented. "May I escort you back?"

"Oh, I hate to impose."

"You don't," he insisted, offering his arm. She accepted, and let him lead her back to her own clan.

"Your father and brothers spent a good deal of time with mine today," he said as they walked. "They make for interesting company."

"They would. What did you boys talk about?"

"God, mainly."

"...I see. I thought... Never mind."

"The Third Clan got to you, too, I see. They are a force to be reckoned with, to be sure; but Teslev makes a poor advisor. You should spend some time with us, yourself. You could learn a lot about yourself."

"I'm not a great student. I also heard that Lydia had spoken to Pi earlier. She came back looking much better than before; stronger, somehow. She said she just felt full of light, all of a sudden. I'm not sure what Lydia said to cheer her up, but tell her that we all thank her."

"Of course. If you ever decide to acquire that light for yourself, you know where to find us."

"I'll remember, thank you."

 


	11. To Give and Receive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First, I will smash your hearts with what I hope is the last stab from chapter one.
> 
> Then, I will melt all the little shards with an entire month of December from Dixie's point of view. Because it's supposed to be about her, after all.
> 
> After which, you will be caught up with the tale as it is so far. ;D

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_To Give and Receive_

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The weather was kind to the five clans of Stitchpunks. Though the temperature continued to plummet, it did not finally snow until a few days after the gathering had ended. Satisfied that all their friends would have arrived home safely, Pi returned all her focus to the next few weeks. Not too much longer, now, and a lot of first anniversaries would be upon them. The day she had met the Fifth clan was coming up hard and fast. The exact date would be hard to miss—it had been only three days before Dixie had been born.

That was the night they had planned for the baby's transfer. Her proud parents had wondered if they should tell her that it had an actual date to look forward to... But they had decided against it. She would surely go on to pester them about it for weeks and weeks. There was still the end of November and a whole month of December to wait through.

2 and 5 had decided together, that they were also celebrating Christmas this year. It was something they had learned of from the Second clan at the gathering, though the rest of them weren't quite sure what it was all about. To their knowledge, it had to do with the other clan's God—something about His birth being a miracle, and being thankful and joyous because of it. Also, there was to somehow be a tree. And decorations. And presents.

Pi wasn't sure what her husband was up to with all this. But at least, she could manage the making of presents for her family. That sounded easy enough. She made them things all the time. She failed to see how Christmas was supposed to be any different from how their December would have passed in the first place.

However, as they all went around preparing for it, the mood in the library certainly seemed to have changed. As they went around, hauling evergreen boughs into their home, hanging shiny things on the walls, and working in secret on their own presents, a feeling of quiet expectation crept into the building. It was hard to explain, but it felt like they were preparing for something of great importance. As if something unexpected was coming, and their home had to be ready to meet it.

There was a lot to prepare for already, that was definitely expected. Christmas would come and go, and there would be two new children not long afterward. As for the one who was already here... 9 and 7 were busy making a separate room for Dixie, because she would be much too big to share their room after her upgrade. She would be big enough for a real bed, and for a space to put all her own things. If she was anything like either one of them, she would be building and sketching things of her own in no time. She would have her very own toys and tools, and, if Pi had any say in it, a full wardrobe.

7 was particularly impatient to have her daughter out. It had been a year since she had truly had her bedroom to herself. And she was peeved to think that the transition could still be a very slow one. She coveted her space; she hoped that Dixie would, as well.

But that was 7. Pi couldn't see herself minding so much. In fact, at the thought of her child being eventually granted a room lf his or her own, she could see herself being a little emotional. She was already inseparably close to her baby; she couldn't exactly hand it over to someone else for an hour or two, if she wanted. Thinking of how her child's growing up was invariably a slow process of separation—first from her body, then from her bed, then from her room, and then perhaps, eventually, from her home altogether—was a little hard to think about.

Even though the soul of her baby kept her warm enough, the increasing cold still forced her into her jacket. At first, she had found the chill refreshing from how hot she always was. This late in November, it had become biting and bitter. But the chill provided an unusual crispness in the air that made everything seem clearer. It was exceptional weather for thinking about things, which she had always been very good at. She often found herself just stopping to think in the chilly library. She sometimes couldn't help herself.

She had a lot to think about, anyway.

One afternoon, on one such occasion, her line of thought was interrupted when 4 appeared and casually sat down beside her. Being nearly a month later along, the girl was nowhere near as big as Pi was; but the soul of her son was steadily growing.

_"You look good."_

"So do you. You're feeling okay?"

_"Well, that fatigue is hitting fast and hard. I don't know if I like that. There's still so much to do around here, and I don't always have the energy for it. My brother isn't being exactly helpful..."_

"Still not talking to you?"

_"Or 6. Or anybody, that I know of. I had hoped that all this Christmas business would cheer him up, but... Nope. Still as sour as he was last week. I've never known him to be so quiet. Angry, perhaps; but never at me."_

"I'm sorry to hear that. So, how's married life?"

_"Pretty much the same as it was before, just with less... You know. I guess he was right all along."_

"You know, our children will be born within a week or two of each other. That's pretty exciting, right?"

4 smiled at that, and thoughtfully stroked her long braid. She obviously wanted to say something, but was hesitant.

_"...Pi, 6 does know, if you'd like to. We know you didn't ask, but he just knows. I can tell you, if you'd like."_

"No, no, it’s really alright. All the best things are surprises."

_"Okay. Um... This is hard to say... He also knows, about 11."_

Pi was confused. "About who?"

_"11. It’s... Well, it was the first name I had thought of for our son. But 6 said no, we couldn't do that, because there was already an 11. I didn't understand before what he meant by that, but it’s what he calls your... The child you lost."_

Now Pi was taken aback. That was something she really didn't know if she wanted to know. Perhaps she was better off not knowing that. Perhaps that was better off left in the past, where the rest of it was. And it was so soon. And so close. But...

"We hadn't even talked about names," she said absently, more to herself than to 4.

_"10 was the first; 11 came next. So we honored that, and chose 12, instead."_

"12, huh? That's nice... He really knew all along?"

4 shrugged, looking apologetic.  _"He wanted to say something, but you never asked. I didn't even know that he knew. He only just told me yesterday. He never meant to keep it from anyone for so long, but it’s conflicted him for a long time. He's felt, I don't know... I guess you could call it guilty."_

"Guilty? Whatever for? He didn't cause this to happen, after all."

_"He just wishes that he could have warned you. The Voice normally tells him when bad things are about to happen. But what happened to you... The Voice didn't say anything about it. At least, not that he knows of. He feels like he should have known. Like maybe he was told, and he just wasn't paying attention and missed it. He feels as though he's failed you, and 5, somehow. That he had all the power in the world to help you, and he couldn't. And knowing all he does about it... It’s been weighing hard on his mind recently."_

Pi shook her head slowly. "Even if he could have warned us, there was nothing he could have done to prevent this from happening. But I'm touched that he's so concerned about us. Tell him not to feel badly about it. So... You really know if it was a boy or a girl?"

4 nodded slowly.

"...Tell me."

4 took a deep breath.  _"...Well... It was a little girl."_

Pi sighed deeply. It was still a hard pill to swallow; but at the same time, she felt satisfied to finally know the whole story. She'd had a daughter, once. Her name was 11. She wasn't just a painful memory anymore. She really was a whole person, with a name and an identity of her own, and a family who had loved her once and would never forget her.

It still hurt. But there was peace behind that pain. Now all she had to figure out was how to explain this to 5. He deserved to know, if he wanted to. And Pi was fairly certain that he would.

"Thank you, 4. This means a lot to me."

_"Neither of us wanted to hurt you in any way, of course. But lately, especially now that he knows what you're having this time, keeping this hidden has been hurting him. Physically, even. He had wanted to tell you himself; but he just couldn't do it. He's sorry he couldn't be braver."_

"Tell him not to feel this way anymore. I understand. Just tell him... Thank you."

_"Okay. I will."_

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In Dixie's little mind, winter didn't seem so bad at all. Her daddy always seemed concerned about it, but she couldn't understand why. Even if she didn't understand  _every_ word he said, he sure complained a lot about it being cold. She gathered that it was the reason she wasn't allowed outside much anymore. And that annoyed her. They used to spend a ton of time outside, in the sun, playing in the flowers and grass.

But the grass had withered as the weather had become colder, and the pretty flowers had faded late in the summer time. Dixie still didn't understand how it had happened. The world outside had suddenly lost all its color, turning dismal shades of brown and gray. At least, in place of color, the world had become sparkly. Her family called it frost. They didn't like it much. She thought it was pretty.

Everyone else spoke frequently of something called snow. She hadn't seen it yet, but was overwhelmingly curious about it and what it could mean. When she had asked her daddy about it, he said that it was kind of like rain. It was frozen water—soft, powdery, very cold water—that fell from the sky. But instead of soaking into the ground like rain, it sort of piled up and didn't go away.

He had also explained that it could be very dangerous. He said that he would take her to see it sometime soon, but he hadn't made good on that promise yet. He didn't seem to have the time anymore. He was always in his workroom, building things. Her mommy explained, sounding annoyed, that he was building another new body for another new baby. And when he was done with it, he would have to deliver it to its own mommy and daddy, not too far away. She had complained quietly, so she thought Dixie couldn't hear, that it wouldn't be taking so long if 5 would help with it.

Dixie had no idea what that meant, and she had bigger things to wonder about, so she had forgotten about that last part.

There was also a lot of talk about her new cousins, and how much fun she would have with them when they were bigger. She liked it a lot when her parents would tell her about how her cousins would be born, just like she had been. Her mommy told her stories about what it had been like, before she had been born; she said she had talked to her a lot, and asked if she remembered any of their conversations. Dixie tried hard to remember, but she couldn't. She couldn't remember very far back, at all.

Her earliest memory was a hazy recollection of darkness and chaos, but she couldn't remember it clearly. Mostly, there was just a memory of angry red eyes, and being separated from her family, and being scared. And, if she thought hard enough, she thought that maybe her auntie Pi had been there, as well. She didn't like to think about it, though; it made her sad. It made her mommy and daddy sad, as well, so they didn't talk much about it.

Her daddy also talked about something called Christmas, which was coming soon. He said it was why they were making their house so pretty with lights and shiny things. There were also tree branches with pointy, bright green leaves on the walls, which she wasn't allowed to touch. She had been warned that the needle-like leaves would poke and hurt her, and that they might be very sticky. But she didn't always remember to listen. When some of the leaves fell to the floor, she picked them up to play with them. They were like long straws, which could bend a lot before they broke.

Dixie decided that so far, she liked Christmas. Everyone was so happy. Except her big brover, who had been angry for what felt like a long time. He didn't play with her like he used to. He used to talk about teaching her to read and write, though she still didn't know what that was. She wished he would come back and teach her, already, and be happy like he used to be. She didn't see him much anymore, either. That also made her sad.

Christmas also involved presents, and lots of them. Her daddad had said so. And he said that she would be getting some very special presents. That was exciting. She liked being given things. Hm... Presents made everyone happy. Maybe a present would make 3 happy again. He liked books a lot, she knew. She wasn't sure why, but he did. She decided to make him a book.

How did one make a book, again? Well, they had lots of pages with squiggly lines, and sometimes pictures. And they had hard covers, to protect them from grabby hands. With that in mind, she stole some blank papers from her daddy's desk and began drawing the squiggly lines over them. Also, because pictures were much more helpful than squiggly lines, she also doodled some pictures. There was a flower, and another book—since 3 liked them so much—and one of herself, smiling and waving at him.

Her mommy came in while she was working, and gave her an exasperated look. It seemed to Dixie that she made that face a lot...

"Baby, what are you doing?"

"I am make a book for my brover," Dixie answered, proudly holding up one of the pages. "I am make him a present!"

Now her mommy smiled down at her. She liked it when she made this face, much more than when she made the exasperated one.

"A book for your brother, huh? I think he'll like that a lot," she agreed, kneeling down and gathering up the scattered pieces of paper.

"Yeah, he a-like it, he be happy. I miss him a-happy."

"I know. We all miss him a-happy..."

Her mommy was sad. She usually spoke like everyone else, because she was a big person and could talk properly. She only talked this way when she was upset, perhaps so her baby could understand better. Feeling sorry to see her mommy so sad, Dixie gave her a charming smile.

"But I am make him a present, I make him a-happy!" she pointed out helpfully.

"I know you will," her mommy agreed, leaning down to kiss the top of her head. "Why don't I keep these in a safe place, so they don't get lost? Then daddy can bind the pages into a book for you, okay?"

"A-bind? Whatsat?" Dixie asked with a shrug.

"It’s when you put the pages together inside their cover, so they stay together. And daddy knows all about that. I'm sure he'd be happy to help you."

"Ooh, we make it  _all_ our present!"

With that decided, her mommy let her finish the pages, and then put them up where no one could get them. So they would be safe, she said. Dixie wasn't so sure about that, but she decided not to let that get her down. She had turned out to be pretty good at making books. Maybe she would make book presents for everyone for Christmas!

If only her daddy left more paper where she could reach it. He was awfully clever, that way.

In the middle of December, he suddenly announced that he was going on a trip for a day or two. The body he had been working on was finished, and he had to deliver it to the family it belonged to. Nobody else seemed overly concerned about this, but Dixie couldn't understand why. Her daddy was leaving! This was terrible! How was he going to hug and kiss her? How was he going to sing her to sleep at night? Who was going to call her a precious girl?

She was fairly certain that the world was over.

He promised that he would be back very soon, as quickly as he possibly could. And when he returned, it would be just about time for Christmas. He suggested that while she waited for him, she work some more on her books, because she was doing such a great job with them. Dixie wasn't entirely convinced. But no amount of crying and begging him to stay seemed to change his mind. A pity. That changed his mind about most things...

Much to her anxiety, her daddy left the library the very next morning. He had kissed her and her mommy goodbye, and gone off on his short journey. To her mommy's relief, he wasn't going alone; 8 had volunteered to go with him. Dixie couldn't care less about her uncle. It wasn't like he had put her to bed every night of her life.

The two days without her daddy dragged by painfully slowly. Both nights she had bad, sad dreams about waking up, over and over again to find that he had never come back. It felt like he would be gone forever. She didn't even have the spirit to finish her books, like had told her to. Her mommy tried hard to comfort her, to do all the things her daddy normally did, but it just wasn't the same.

Finally, as the second day drew to a close, the bell upstairs began to ring. Her mommy scooped her up and carried her toward the entrance.

"Boy, is there a surprise for you outside."

Dixie was too dismal to care about surprises. At least, she had thought she was. She hadn't seen the world outside since it had snowed. And she was, indeed, surprised to see it for the first time. She gasped in shock, to see that the frigid world had been blanketed in white. Everything was clean, sparkling white. Almost like her mommy. It was very pretty, indeed.

But that paled to utter insignificance, beside the two figures marching through all the snow across the courtyard. Or, at least, it paled beside the smaller of the two. Finally, an eternity later, her daddy had returned, and the world was as it should be.

"Daddy, no more leavin'," she scolded, clinging as hard as she could to him. She wasn't letting him out of her sight again.

"I will try my best, precious girl," he answered, hugging her back.

How good it was, to be a precious girl again.

Now that all that was over, and her daddy was home to stay, there were better things to do. Christmas was in a week. And Dixie realized with a start that she hadn't worked at all on her books for two whole days. Anxious again, fearing she might not finish them in time, she returned to the project, almost with a vengeance. She was absolutely determined that every member of her family would have one of her very nice books for a present.

She wondered if her little cousins should get books for Christmas. They weren't here yet, after all. But if they missed Christmas and didn't get any presents... That seemed sad and unfair to her. Conflicted, she asked her mommy about it.

"I a-makin' books a-my cousins," she announced.

"Oh, baby, that's sweet of you," her mommy agreed. "But I don't think they'll want books. Babies don't really need presents. They're too little to use them."

Dixie was confused, and a little worried. "I a baby. I am get presents?"

"Oh, well, of course you'll get presents," her mommy insisted right away. "But you're hardly a little baby anymore. In just a few weeks, you'll be a big girl. You're walking and talking, and playing all on your own. You need things to play with, now."

"Oh. But mommy, what I a-give a-my cousins?"

"Do you know what babies need more than anything?" her mommy asked mysteriously. Dixie stared back at her, waiting for an answer.

"What a little baby really needs is lots and lots of love from its family," her mommy answered, scopping Dixie into her lap. "A baby needs its mommy and daddy more than anything in the whole world, to take care of it."

"And a-nursin', and a-singin' sleep?"

"That's right. Just like your daddy and I did for you, when you were just born. And you have a very special job, when your cousins are born. You'll be a big girl by then, so you'll have to set a good example for them. You'll have to be on your sweetest, best behavior, and love them very much, so they can learn to be good, just like you."

"Oh, I a-just be a sweet girl, a-give them present?"

"That's right, my little love. Just being your sweet self is the best present you can give them."

Her mommy's eyes were shining with pride, as if she were going to cry. Dixie wondered why her mommy would want to cry at a time like this. She thought they were happy. She decided to cheer her up with a hug, snuggling into her warm chest, giggling happily as her mommy hugged her back.

"I am be a good cousin. I a-be a best cousin!"

Her mommy laughed softly. "I don't doubt that, baby. I don't doubt that at all."

Whew. That was another two presents she didn't have to make, after all. It seemed like she finished her work just in time, as well. It could have been a month later if it had been a week—since she was still grappling with the idea of time—but suddenly, it was what her granddad called Christmas Eve.

She wasn't sure what that meant, but it appeared that it was time to give everyone their presents, at last. It began as most nights did: with everyone gathered together in the common room, beside the glowing fire, chatting pleasantly. In the corner opposite the fire, where they would be safe from the flames, several boughs of pine had been stacked upright against the corner, resembling a tree, and many of their needles had been adorned with bows of ribbon. Beneath the boughs, an impressive pile of presents had slowly built up over the last month.

Dixie had been told many times not to touch them. Not all of them were meant for her—some were for her parents, siblings, grandparents, uncles and aunt. And they were all big surprises. It wouldn't do to ruin the surprises for everyone. Also, her mommy had threatened that if she touched any of them before it was time to open them, she wouldn't get any presents at all.

So she hadn't touched them. But tonight, her waiting was finally over. And not only would she finally get her long awaited presents, but her family would also get the books she had made. That was almost as exciting.

To her delight, her daddad called for everyone to hush, and he selected a rather large package from the pile. It was a lumpy ball of blue cloth, tied with a white sash. With a grin, he knelt to present it to her.

"I believe this one is for you, blessed."

She snatched it with a squeal and held it tight. Never mind what it was, it was hers! She was completely thrilled. Everyone was amused by her enthusiasm, but her daddad gently took it back for a moment.

"No, no, you have to open it. Like this."

He gently pulled the end of the sash until it came undone, and unwrapped the cloth. What it had hidden was even better. It was a big blue stuffed animal, with a long face and four legs, and a long white horn on its head.

"It is a unicorn," her daddad explained, handing the toy back. "Your uncle 5 and auntie Pi made it for you. What do you think?"

All she could think of presently was that it belonged to her, and that it was wonderful. She hugged it again with another squeal of delight. She glanced over her shoulder at her uncle and aunt with a grin, before returning her full attention to her unicorn.

Her daddad went around the room, handing out other presents, always making sure that she had one to open and enjoy. He never forgot her for long. Her mommy had been right, not all of the presents turned out to be for her. In fact, only a few of them were for her. But that was alright. Everyone else got tools, or clothes, or other things that didn't seem like a lot of fun.

Occasionally, she also opened a present to find that it wasn't a toy. She opened one to find what her auntie explained was a dress. It was light, icy blue, with a frilly ruffled skirt, that tied around her neck and back. However, she threw the fabric over her head, not sure how she was supposed to wear something so big.

"Nope, this a blanket," she decided.

Her mommy had taken it and added it to her other less fun presents. There wasn't much to be done with it, but they said to wait a bit. It would be much more useful, soon. That was a weird thing to say, so she went back to playing with her new toys.

Aside from her unicorn—still the best thing she had received—she also been given a big picture book of the alphabet from her big sissy. Her daddy had made her a spinning top that mesmerized her for nearly an hour. 8 had made her a little dagger, which had been fabulous, and had mysteriously disappeared as soon as she had opened it.

The people her daddy had gone to see had sent her gifts, as well. There was a long piece of rope with knots tied on both ends, and a big metal hoop—a jump rope and a hula hoop, from Peppermint and Sage. Dixie felt like she finally understood something. Her daddy had come home with the hula hoop over his shoulder, since it didn't fit in his pack; but she hadn't paid it any attention. Yet it had been meant for her all along! She felt kind of silly, to have been so close to one of her own presents without realizing it.

When the pile of presents was finally exhausted, it was her turn to hand out her books. They hadn't been wrapped, so she just took them around the room, one at a time, and let each member of her family revel in their perfection. Everyone hugged and kissed her, and thanked her for thinking of them so sweetly. She felt extremely proud of herself, to have made them all so happy.

Her daddy gave her back her first book to give last. It was for her big brover, and she was especially excited about it. She wished it hadn't been saved for last; 3 needed to be cheered up most of all. He was there, and had received all his presents politely, but he still seemed sad to her. She toddled right up to him and handed her book to him.

"I a-make you this," she informed him cheerfully.

Looking kind of stunned, he took his book and opened it, briefly browsing the five pages inside. For some reason, he seemed surprised.

_"...You made this for me?"_

"Yeah! A-no more sad, okay? I no like you a-sad, I a-make you a book! A-like a book?"

For the first time in a while, he smiled at her. He gave her a hug and a kiss, like everyone else had; but this hug and kiss seemed a lot bigger, somehow. And he seemed... Happy. She could feel it.

_"I love it. Thank you, Dixie."_

More than pleased, not thinking much more about it, she gave him a grin and skipped back to her own things. Her big brover wasn't sad anymore. She had made him happy again. All by herself.

It seemed like there was a lot more to this Christmas than it appeared. But as she plopped herself back on the floor and went back to playing with her unicorn, she forgot to think much more about that. Right now, she had a small pile of presents to play with. Her daddy was home to stay, her brother was smiling again, and life was wonderful.

She hoped it would be Christmas again next week.

 


End file.
